Contact Information

Preventive Medicine and Biometrics: Faculty


Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4799
Bldg. A, Rm. 2058
Email: john.grieco@usuhs.edu

John Paul Grieco, Ph.D

Assistant Professor

Profile

Dr. Grieco received his undergraduate training under Dr. George Craig at Notre Dame, masters level training with Dr. Jim Olson at Texas A&M, and his doctorate with Dr. Don Roberts at USU. His doctoral research emphasized malaria vector ecology and vector susceptibilities to malaria parasites. He has conducted critically important research on vector capabilities and has authored or co-authored papers that provide the first comprehensive assessments of capabilities of Anopheles vestitipennis as important vectors of malaria in Belize. Additionally, his research on behavioral responses of An. vestitipennis to residual insecticides is widely viewed as a key paper on the powerful impact of chemicals on endophagic behaviors of malaria vector mosquitoes. His current research focuses on developing novel vector control strategies through the use of repellent and irritant actions of chemicals. He maintains an active research program focused at screening of chemicals in the laboratory to exploit vector behavior to break disease transmission. Dr. Grieco also maintains research on vector ecology and methods of environmental control to attack the vectors at critical times in their development. In integral part of this is through the use of Remote Sensing and GIS to determine spatial and temporal risk factors for disease transmission.

Degrees

  • Ph.D. in Medical Zoology, USUHS
  • M.S., in Medical Entomology, Texas A&M University,
  • B.S., Biology, University of Notre Dame

Research

  • Principal-Investigator: "Behavior-Modifying Compounds for Disease Vector Control," NIH, $603,300.00/yr, 9/8/03 - 2/29/09.
  • Principal-Investigator: "Design of Novel Arthropod Repellents, Attractants and Toxicants", DWFP, $282,920.00, 5/1/08 - 4/30/13.
  • Principal-Investigator: "Novel approaches to insect vector control " USUHS, $150,000 10/1/06 - 9/30/11
  • Principal-Investigator: "A Risk Assessment System for Japanese Encephalitis," DoD GEIS $ 2,146,424.00, 10/01/07-9/30/12.
  • Principal Investigator: "Evaluation of vector control products against Insect vectors", BASF $54,000.00, Jan1, 2010 - Dec 31, 2010.
  • Principal Investigator: "Surveillance of Anopheles vectors in Indonesia", NCMI, $65,000, 10/1/09 - 9/30/10.
  • Co- Investigator: " Effect of vector control chemicals on An. Gambiae," USAID 06/01/07-06/30/10.
  • Co-investigator: "Use of a spatial repellent for the reduction of malaria in Sumba, Indonesia", Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Nov 2009- Oct 2013.
  • Co-Investigator: "A novel ITM push-pull strategy to reduce host-seeking Aedes aegypti inside homes" Awarded. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Oct 2007-Sep 2011.
  • Co-Investigator: "Exploring the Scope of Cost-Effective Aflatoxin Risk Reduction Strategies in Maize and Groundnut Value Chains so as to Improve Market Access of the Poor in Africa" Awarded. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Dec 2009-Sep 2011.

Teaching

  • Aquatic Entomology
  • Physiological Parameters of Vector Competence

Areas of Expertise

  • Novel methods of insect vector control
  • Vector Ecology
  • GIS and Remote Sensing for vector-borne disease risk assessment

Selected Recent Publications

Paz-Soldan,V., Plasai ,V., Morrison, A., Rios-Lopez ,E., Guedez-Gonzales,S., Grieco, J., Mundal, K., Chareonviriyaphap ,T., Achee, N.L. Initial Assessment of the Acceptability of a Push-Pull Aedes aegypti Control Strategy in Iquitos, Peru and Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2), 2011, pp. 208-217

Med Chareonviriyaph, T., Grieco, J., Suwonkerd, W., Prabaripai, A., Polsomboon, S., Thainchum, K., Sungvornyothin, S., Achee. N. An improved experimental hut design for the study of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) movement patterns in Thailand. Journal of Vector Ecology (December 2010)

Masuoka P., Klein T.A., Kim H.C., Claborn, D.M., Achee, N.L., Andre, R., Chamberlin J., Small J., Anyamba A., Lee D.K.., Yi S.H., Sardelis M., Ju Y.R., and Grieco, J. Modeling the distribution of Culex tritaeniorhynchus to predict Japanese encephalitis distribution in the Republic of Korea. Geospatial Health (Nov 2010 Issue

Paz-Soldan V., Plasai V., Morrison A.C., Rios-Lopez E.J., Guedez-Gonzales S., Grieco J.P., Mundal K., Chareonviriyaphap T. and Achee N.L.. Initial assessment of the acceptability of a push-pull Ae. aegypti control strategy in Iquitos, Peru and Kanchanaburi, Thailand: An example of the benefit of cross-disciplinary research. Am. J. Trop. Med & Hygiene (accepted Oct 2010).

Kongmee, M., Nimmo, D., Beech, C., Grieco, J., Alphey, L., and Achee, N.L. Irritant and repellant behavioral responses of Aedes aegypti male populations developed for RIDL® disease control strategies. J. Med. Entomol. (Nov 2010 Issue)

Masuoka, P., Klein, T., Kim, H., Claborn, D., Achee, N., Andre, R., Chamberlin, J., Small, J., Anyamba, A., Lee, D., Yi, S., Sardelis, M., Ju, Y., Grieco, J. 2010. Modeling the distribution of Culex tritaeniorhynchus to predict Japanese Encephalitis distrubtion in the Republic of Korea. Geospatial Health. (Nov 2010 Issue)

Thanispong,K., Achee, N.L., Grieco,J., Bangs,M., Suwonkerd,W., Prabaripai,A., Chauhan,K., Chareonviriyaphap,T., A High Throughput Screening System for Determining the Three Actions of Insecticides Against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Populations in Thailand. Journal of Medical Entomology, 47(5):833-841. 2010.

Professional Activities

  • American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene
  • American Mosquito Control Association
  • Entomological Society of America
  • Society of Vector Ecology
  • Center for Application of Remote Sensing and GIS in Public Health
  • President (2010) of the American Committee of Medical Entomologists
  • GEIS Steering Committee