Armando J. Cruz-Laufer

Postdoctoral researcher

2023: PhD in Biology at Hasselt University (Belgium)
2017: Master of Science in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom)
2015: Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

Joined the group in January 2019

Research project: A network of change: predation on human disease vectors by mangrove fishes and the role of fisheries and parasitic infections

I am an ecologist and evolutionary biologist investigating the role of parasites in ecosystems. My focus lies on studying parasitic diseases in a changing environment. EcoHealth, i.e. the link between environmental and human health, lies at the centre of my approach to science. Specific questions include:

  • How do parasites speciate? Which factors explain high levels of parasite biodiversity?
  • How does human activity (e.g. overfishing) impact parasite communities infecting wildlife (e.g. fishes)?
  • How does environmental degradation affect vector-borne diseases and human health?
  • How do parasites adapt to changing environments?
  • How do parasite infect new host species?

My favorite quote: “Man cannot produce a single work without the assistance of the slow, assiduous, corrosive worm of thought.” -Eugenio Montale

E-mail | UHasselt profile | ResearchGate | LinkedIn | Personal site