My research largely focuses on filarial nematodes, vector-borne parasites transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods, and developing novel molecular diagnostics to improve detection and surveillance. These parasites have broad impacts on the health of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Furthermore, they are very susceptible to the effects of climate change and other environmental changes, which can lead to more frequent disease outbreaks. Despite this, little is known about filarial nematodes in North America, particularly ones that infect wild ungulates. Thus, this research helps fill these knowledge gaps by shedding light on filarial nematode biodiversity, elucidating their phylogenetic relationships, geographic distribution, and host-associations across North America. His research also utilizes high throughput deep amplicon sequencing techniques that can detect potential co-infections by filarial nematodes within a single sample, including closely related ones. Acquiring valuable co-infection data has enormous implications for both human and veterinary medicine. His overall goals are to lay the groundwork of future research on filarial nematodes in North America, while simultaneously developing a high throughput sequencing technique that gathers more comprehensive epidemiological information that serves to benefit his own research and global efforts to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) caused by filarial nematodes.