Mosquitos and Black Flies and Bark Beetles, Oh My! with Jan Conn

Dr. Jan Conn is a Canadian poet, artist, and mosquito geneticist with a PhD in genetics. She has had training in systematics, entomology and population genetics, and she’s undoubtedly advanced efforts towards malaria eradication. She has done fieldwork in Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Panama, and Columbia in order to study the factors that influence malaria transmission. 

With her studies,  she has over 100 publications that outline the importance of understanding these factors in order to help end the malaria epidemic. In addition to her academic career, Dr. Conn is an avid poet, with 9 books of poetry published. Now if Dr. Conn isn’t one of the most steam-oriented people we’ve hosted on this podcast, then I don’t know what we’re doing. She’s also spoken at 9 poetry festivals, one of which I was able to attend online with wordVancouver. Recorded by Cosmo Callaway and Eliana Stanford, with guest Jan Conn.