Ryan Carney, PhD

Contact Info

• Academic Email: ryancarney@usf.edu
• View My Website

Research Interests

• From Archaeopteryx to Zika, Dr. Carney studies dinosaurs and diseases using interdisciplinary methodologies and cutting-edge digital technologies:
• Dinosaurs. His research primarily focuses on the iconic Archaeopteryx and extant dinosaurs. Methodologies include 3D imaging, modeling, analysis, and animation -- along with a joint surface approach and scientific motion transfer -- to investigate functional morphology and the evolution of motions such as the avian flight stroke. His lab also works in the virtual reality and augmented reality space, translating research into next-generation visualizations that bring dinosaurs "back to life" for outreach and pedagogy.
• Diseases. Dr. Carney's epidemiology research primarily focuses on the surveillance and control of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, and Zika. Through an NSF-funded global research collaboration with NASA and the CDC, he leads a team that identifies disease-spreading and invasive mosquitoes using artificial intelligence, along with citizen science data from three partner apps: iNaturalist, Mosquito Alert, and Mosquito Habitat Mapper. His research also leverages geographic information systems, remote sensing, and spatial modeling techniques like the DYCAST early warning system, to model vector habitats, detect disease hot spots, and enable the strategic targeting of control efforts.
• At USF, Dr. Carney has received the Outstanding Research Achievement Award, the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, and the Outstanding Faculty Award. He is also a National Geographic Explorer, and recipient of the Emerging Explorer Award, which recognizes "uniquely gifted and inspiring scientists, conservationists, storytellers and innovators who are changing the world".