Andrew Golnar

Background

About Andrew Golnar

Dr. Golnar is a disease ecologist specializing in entomology and genetic bio-control. His research examines how pathogens persist in ecological communities using genetics, mathematical modeling, and experimental infection trials. Since early 2022, Dr. Golnar has supporting the Science Philanthropy Alliance in numerous advising activities as an Infectious Disease Fellow and Research Analyst. Prior to joining the Alliance, Dr. Golnar worked at the USDA developing tools for agricultural biosecurity threats and bio-control risk management. Golnar earned his biology degree from the University of Denver, where he researched West Nile virus ecology with the CDC. At Texas A&M, he completed both masters and Ph.D. in entomology. His doctoral research explored how avian blood parasites affect virus transmission among birds and mosquitoes, while his masters work assessed U.S. organisms capable of transmitting Rift Valley virus and identified high-risk pathways for viral introduction. As a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow, Golnar received advanced training in biosafety containment and arthropod manipulation. His interdisciplinary research appears in ten scientific journals. Golnar has developed significant international scientific relationships. He worked as an NSF/USAID innovation fellow enhancing vector-borne disease surveillance in Indonesia, spoke at Peru's International Conference of Mathematics, and served as student representative for the American Committee of Medical Entomology within the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.