Mosquito biology and reproduction: Opportunities for vector control

Abstract 

Mosquito-borne diseases continue to pose a significant global public health challenge, driven in part by highly adaptive vectors such as Aedes aegypti. This webinar will provide an in-depth exploration of mosquito biology, with a focus on the life cycle, behavior, and physiological traits that enhance vector capacity and disease transmission. Understanding these processes is critical for innovative control strategies. The session will also examine current vector control approaches—ranging from chemical and environmental interventions to emerging biological and genetic tools—and discuss how targeting mosquito reproduction and life cycle stages can improve effectiveness and sustainability.

This webinar is designed for public health professionals, researchers, epidemiologists, and policymakers interested in vector-borne disease prevention and control.

Learning outcomes

Participants will leave with practical guidance on:

• To describe the biology and life cycle of Aedes aegypti, particularly the aspects associated with its vector capacity.
• To explain the reproductive processes that regulate mosquito fertility and population growth.
• To discuss current control methods and how mosquito biology and reproduction can be targeted for new vector control strategies.

Moderator

Margaret Haworth-Brockman, Senior Program Manager, National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID)

Speaker

Catalina Alfonso-Parra, PhD, MPH

Dr. Catalina Alfonso-Parra has been a researcher at the Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical – CES University since 2015. She earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Texas A&M University and completed postdoctoral research at Cornell University, first in developmental biology with Dr. Natasza Kurpios and later in vector biology with Dr. Laura Harrington. Currently, Dr. Alfonso-Parra’s research focuses on the biology and ecology of mosquito vectors, particularly Aedes species. One of her main research interests is understanding mosquito reproductive processes and how emerging vector control strategies, such as Wolbachia-based approaches and the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), may affect mosquito biology and reproduction. Understanding these effects is important for improving the implementation and success of vector control programs. She is also involved in additional projects studying insecticide resistance and the prevalence of Wolbachia in mosquito populations in Medellín.