This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony on Oct. 29 for UNMC’s 2026 Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist and New Investigator recipients.
Joseph Fauver, PhD, will receive a New Investigator Award. New Investigator Awards go to outstanding UNMC scientists who in the past year have secured their first independent funding from a national source. New investigators also must demonstrate scholarly activity such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
- Name: Joseph Fauver, PhD
- Title: Assistant professor, UNMC Department of Epidemiology, UNMC College of Public Health
- Joined UNMC: 2022
- Hometown: Springfield, Nebraska
Please describe your research focus in three words or less:
- Vector-borne disease transmission
Why is research important in the world today?
Meaningful research is how we understand the world and solve our collective problems.
My research will make a difference because:
Nebraska has a high burden of both mosquito- and tick-borne illnesses, and our partnerships with Nebraska DHHS and the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory allow us to translate public health surveillance to translational research to reduce the burden of vector-borne diseases in the state. We use genomic, epidemiological and modeling approaches to understand vector-borne disease transmission dynamics to predict and mitigate spread.
The best advice I’ve ever received is:
That the right thing is always the hardest thing to do.
Three things you may not know about me are:
- I am a proud alumnus of Peru State College.
- I worked directly with the NBA during the COVID-19 epidemic on their genomic epidemiology/occupational health program.
- I once named a new mosquito virus after my dog.