
People
Sagan Friant - Principal Investigator

College of Liberal Arts Endowed Fellow &
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
a co-hire of Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
Pennsylvania State University
Affiliations: Ecology Institute & Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics
email: sagan.friant@psu.edu
Twitter: @saganfriant
I am an integrative anthropologist studying the health consequences of human-animal-environment interactions. My research primarily takes place in Nigeria, where I have worked for 15 years. I am the founder and Director of the Cross River Ecology and Health Project and also lead several additional projects focused on zoonotic spillover. Through research and related programs I aim to identify and implement solutions that provide win wins for food, environmental, and global health security.
Postdoctoral Scholars
Katharine “Kate'' Thompson is a presidential postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Anthropology at Penn State University. She received her BA in Anthropology and BS in Community, Environment, and Development from Penn State University, and both her MA and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Stony Brook University. Her research interests include human-wildlife interactions and natural resource use as a form of resilience for indigenous communities. Her dissertation investigates the interconnected

socioeconomic, food-security, and sociocultural factors that drive illegal wildlife consumption in Western Madagascar. At the Risk lab, Kate is currently developing mixed-methods approaches to elucidate how children interreact with wild animals and wild meat In Cross River State, Nigeria. Kate is also developing the first large-scale, cross-disciplinary analysis of the adverse events scientists experience while conducting fieldwork. Kate believes that real inclusivity and equity in STEM fields must include data-informed safety protocols and risk management practices that better protect researchers in urban and remote wilderness locations alike.

David Simons, PhD, MD
​
The Pennsylvania State University
email: dzs2659@psu.edu
Twitter: @David_Simons_UK
website: www.dsimons.org
I am a postdoctoral scholar primarily working on the SCAPES project. Prior to joining Sagan’s lab, my PhD focused on the association of land use type on rodent ecology and the potential downstream effects on Lassa fever risk in Eastern Sierra Leone. Throughout my work I adopt One Health approaches to better understand zoonotic disease spillover risk into human populations from rodent hosts, drawing on methods from ecology, epidemiology, and medicine. In a past life, I was a medical doctor
working primarily in infectious diseases and emergency medicine but have now transitioned towards conducting research that can inform public health interventions to moderate the risk of rodent-associated zoonosis spillover in West Africa.
Graduate students

Christian Herrera
​
​
Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences
The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
The Pennsylvania State University
Affiliations: Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Anthropology
email: ceh364@psu.edu​
I am a second-generation Mexican American professional and PhD student in the Immunology and Infectious Disease track within the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences (MCIBS) program at Penn State University.
My research applies metagenomics and immunological tools to assess emerging infectious disease risks, particularly from bushmeat handling in Nigeria. With a background spanning biomedical research, biotechnology, immunology, entrepreneurship, and business strategy, I integrate scientific insights with strategic decision-making.
I hold an MS in Biotechnology (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center) and a BS in Biology (Angelo State University). My research experience includes viral transmission dynamics (Hudson/Vandegrift group, Penn State), bat population studies (Big Bend NP, Central America), cancer immunotherapy, and DoD-funded snake venom studies (NAMRU-SA, U.S. Navy).
Beyond research, I bring 17+ years of experience in scientific innovation and business strategy. Pursuing a concurrent PhD and MBA at Penn State, I specialize in evaluating technologies and therapeutics for commercial impact, bridging science and business to drive innovation.
Outside of work, I enjoy attending Penn State sporting events with my family, running two retail start-ups, and participating in the Penn State Archery Club Team.
Christina Harden
​
The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
The Pennsylvania State University
email: cmh7042@psu.edu
Twitter: @XtinaHarden
I am a PhD student and J. Lloyd Huck Graduate Fellow in the Ecology Program. I received my BS in Environmental Science from Cornell University and my MPH in Epidemiology from the Yale School of Public Health. My research uses a mixed methods approach to better understand contact between humans and rodent

reservoirs of Lassa fever in Nigeria. I'm interested in the ways rural livelihood activities and settlement patterns influence rodent population and infection dynamics. Beyond the RISK lab, I am an avid gardner, skier, and tv watcher who spends far too much time with her cats.

I am a PhD student in Anthropology with interest in the risk of zoonotic disease spillover in a North American context as mediated by human hunting practices. My research experience prior to joining the Penn State PhD program was in developing geospatial products on bushmeat trading and associated activities in West Africa and conducting analysis on different rodent and human interactions to support a broader understanding of the anthropology of health risks. I additionally have field
experience conducting archeological fieldwork in the American Southeast in support of generating deeper understandings of Indigenous livelihoods and sustainability practices. I enjoy marathon running, rock climbing, reading, and supporting my fellow Penn State Veterans and their academic pursuits.
Undergraduate students

I am an undergraduate student pursuing B.A.s in Anthropology, History, and Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies. I am a member of the Schreyer Honors College and am currently working with the RISK lab to study Lassa fever and human-rodent interactions in Nigeria. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, exploring nature, and spending time with my two cats and two dogs!
Field Research Assistants

Wilfred Akonjom Ayambem
University of Calabar

Alobi Obaji Alobi
University of Calabar

Nzube Michael Ifebueme
University of Calabar

Oshama Maria Okoi
University of Calabar

Sunday Eziechina
Nigerian Centre for Disease Control & Prevention

Helen Ignatius
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Diana Marcus
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RISK Lab Alumni


Metrey Tiv, MD
postdoctoral scholar
current position: PhD student at Durham University
Grace Lemke
Undergraduate Research Honors Student (Biology, Anthropology and Spanish)

Emma Petrick
Undergraduate Research Honors Student (majors: Anthropology and Spanish)