Biography and expertise
Dr. Ivan Castro-Arellano is a Full Professor in the Biology Department at Texas State University. He earned his Ph.D. (2005) and M.S. (2000) in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas State University and his B.S. (1997) from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Dr Castro research focuses on the effects on anthropogenic disturbance on natural systems, with special emphasis on pathogen-host interactions. He has done work also on invasive and endangered mammal species. His projects have covered several pathogens like hantaviruses, Borrelia (and other tick-borne pathogens), Leptospira and Trypanosoma.
Education
Doctorate Degree
PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University, 2005
Master's Degree
MS in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University, 2000
Bachelor's Degree
BS in Biology
Univ Nacional Autonoma De Mexico, 1996
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Castro-Arellano, Ivan (Principal). Studying Behavior and Testing Strategies to Reduce Impact of Wind Energy on Bats in Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife State Wildlife Grants, State, $306403. (Funded: 2016 - 2019). Grant.
- Castro-Arellano, Ivan (Co-Principal). Population genetic structure of Ixodes scapularis and disease transmission, National Institute of Health, Federal, $386463. (Funded: 2015 - 2017). Grant.
- Castro-Arellano, Ivan (Principal). Research project for Integrated Control of the Southern Cattle Fever tick in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, State, $1000000. (Funded: 2014 - 2015). Grant.
- Castro-Arellano, Ivan (Principal). Contribution of Bridge Dwelling Birds to Bacterial Quality Impairments, Texas Department of Transportation, $390014. (Funded: 2012 - 2014). Grant.
- Castro-Arellano, Ivan (Principal). Research Enhancement Program Grant, Texas State University, $8000. (Funded: 2011). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Salgado, R., Barja, I., Hernandez, M. del C., Basilio, L., Castro-Arellano, I., Bonacic, C., & Rubio, A. (2022). Activity patterns and interactions of rodents in an assemblage composed by native species and the introduced black rat: implications for pathogen transmission. BMC Zoology, 7(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40850-022-00152-7
- Cordoba-Aguilar, A., Ibarra-Cerdeña, C., Castro-Arellano, I., & Suzan, G. (2021). Tackling zoonoses in a crowded world: lessons to be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Acta Tropica, 214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105780
- Milholland, M. T., Castro-Arellano, I., Suzan, G., Garcia-Pena, G. E., Lee, T. E., Rohde, R. E., … Mills, J. N. (2018). Global diversity and distribution of hantaviruses and their hosts. Eco Health, 15(1), 163–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-017-1305-2.
- Castro-Arellano, I., Suzán, G., García-Peña, G. E., Rico, O., Rubio, A. V., Tolsá, M. J., … Guégan, J. (2015). Metacommunity and phylogenetic structure determine wildlife and zoonotic infectious disease patterns in time and space. Ecology and Evolution, 5, 865–873. https://doi.org/Http://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1404
- Castro-Arellano, I., Feria-Arroyo, T. P., Gordillo-Perez, G., Cavazos, A. L., Vargas-Sandoval, M., Grover, A., … Esteve-Gassent, M. D. (2014). Implications of climate change on the distribution of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis and risk for Lyme disease in the Texas-Mexico transboundary region. Parasites and Vectors, 7, 199. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-199
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Favorite Professor, Alpha Chi National College Honor Society. 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: 2017 Presidential Distinction Awards for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, College of Science and Engineering. 2017
- Award / Honor Recipient: E. Kika de la Garza Science Fellow, United States Department of Agriculture. Hispanic Serving Institutions National Program. 2012
- Award / Honor Recipient: Fulbright Scholarship, US Department of State. 1998 - 2000
- Award / Honor Recipient: Teaching Award of Honor, Texas State Alumni Association. 2020
Featured service activities
- Graduate Advisor
Biology Department Graduate Student Association
- Member
IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Bias) Committee from American Society of Mammalogists
- Member
Graduate Programs Committee
- Member
Internal Advisory Board for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) Center for Intelligent Materials Assembly (CIMA)
- Member
the Small Mammal Specialist Group from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- President
Texas Society of Mammalogists