Director, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology
Biography: Jo-Ann is Director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology at Coconut
Island. She received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of
California, School of Medicine and her B.A. in Zoology at the University
of California at Berkeley.
Her research interests are in molecular
virology, vaccine development and phylogeography. Viruses that infect
aquatic organisms are important disease pathogens and their impact on
aquacultured species such as salmon and trout can be devastating. These
viruses, particularly infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), a
rhabdovirus, and infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), a
birnavirus, are so lethal that 90% of salmon production at a hatchery
can be lost to these diseases. Her laboratory is developing vaccines and
other treatments to control these diseases in fish.
After her arrival in
Hawaii, Jo-Ann has become intrigued by the devastating diseases in
corals and tropical fish and expanded her research into these research
arenas. Jo-Ann helped in the formulation of the current CDHC National
Research Plan and has been an active member in the Consortium since 2001. |
