Jump to navigation

The University of Arizona Wordmark Line Logo White
UA Profiles | Home
  • Phonebook
  • Edit My Profile
  • Feedback

Profiles search form

Todd A Schlenke

  • Associate Professor, Entomology
  • Associate Professor, Entomology / Insect Science - GIDP
  • Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Associate Professor, Genetics - GIDP
  • Associate Professor, Neuroscience - GIDP
  • Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute
  • Associate Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
  • (520) 621-7167
  • Marley, Rm. 641D
  • Tucson, AZ 85721
  • schlenke@arizona.edu
  • Bio
  • Interests
  • Courses
  • Scholarly Contributions

Biography

My research interests are rooted in evolutionary biology but span multiple disciplines in biology. At the heart of my research program is the use of flies in the genus Drosophila to understand the evolutionary genomics of host-parasite interactions. Much of my research is focused on endoparasitoid wasps, which are readily observed infecting Drosophila in nature and can be very specialized to particular host species. These wasps lay single eggs in Drosophila larvae and consume flies from the inside out. Flies mount cellular and behavioral defense responses against wasps, but wasps have adaptations for finding host fly larvae, suppressing host cellular immunity, and manipulating host behavior. I use a variety of "omics" tools to understand the molecular genetics of fly cellular immunity and wasp virulence, as well as patterns of host immunity and pathogen virulence coevolution across fly and wasp phylogenies. For example, I am sequencing a number of parasitic wasp genomes to understand how wasp virulence genes are recruited from the normal wasp gene pool and repeatedly replaced by newer gene duplicates. I am also making inroads into the evolution, genetics, and neurobiology of behaviors that flies use to avoid being infected by the wasps and to cure themselves once they are infected, including various self-medication behaviors. 

Degrees

  • Ph.D. Zoology
    • UT Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
    • Molecular population genetics of innate immune system genes in Drosophila simulans.
  • B.S. Integrative Biology
    • UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States

Work Experience

  • University of Arizona Entomology Department (2016 - Ongoing)
  • Reed College Biology Department (2013 - 2016)
  • Emory University Biology Department (2006 - 2013)
  • UC Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (1994 - 1996)

Related Links

Share Profile

Interests

Teaching

Comparative immunology, evolution, genomics, population genetics, behavior

Research

Evolutionary genetics of host-parasite interactions

Courses

2025-26 Courses

  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 432 (Fall 2025)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 532 (Fall 2025)
  • Comparative Immunology
    EIS 532 (Fall 2025)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ENTO 432 (Fall 2025)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MCB 432 (Fall 2025)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 432 (Fall 2025)
  • Honors Thesis
    BSM 498H (Fall 2025)
  • Honors Thesis
    PSIO 498H (Fall 2025)
  • Meth In Ento & Insect Science
    EIS 792 (Fall 2025)

2024-25 Courses

  • Dissertation
    EIS 920 (Spring 2025)
  • Dissertation
    GENE 920 (Spring 2025)
  • Honors Independent Study
    ECOL 499H (Spring 2025)
  • Honors Independent Study
    MCB 399H (Spring 2025)
  • Honors Thesis
    ECOL 498H (Spring 2025)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 432 (Fall 2024)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ECOL 432 (Fall 2024)
  • Comparative Immunology
    EIS 532 (Fall 2024)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 432 (Fall 2024)
  • Dissertation
    EIS 920 (Fall 2024)
  • Dissertation
    GENE 920 (Fall 2024)
  • Honors Independent Study
    MCB 399H (Fall 2024)
  • Honors Thesis
    ECOL 498H (Fall 2024)
  • Lab Research Rotation
    GENE 792 (Fall 2024)

2023-24 Courses

  • Dissertation
    EIS 920 (Spring 2024)
  • Honors Independent Study
    ECOL 399H (Spring 2024)
  • Research
    EIS 900 (Spring 2024)
  • Research
    GENE 900 (Spring 2024)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 432 (Fall 2023)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 532 (Fall 2023)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ECOL 432 (Fall 2023)
  • Comparative Immunology
    EIS 532 (Fall 2023)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ENTO 432 (Fall 2023)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MCB 432 (Fall 2023)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 432 (Fall 2023)
  • Dissertation
    EIS 920 (Fall 2023)
  • Research
    EIS 900 (Fall 2023)
  • Research
    GENE 900 (Fall 2023)

2022-23 Courses

  • Honors Thesis
    BIOC 498H (Spring 2023)
  • Independent Study
    ECOL 499 (Spring 2023)
  • Research
    EIS 900 (Spring 2023)
  • Research
    GENE 900 (Spring 2023)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 432 (Fall 2022)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ECOL 532 (Fall 2022)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ENTO 432 (Fall 2022)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MCB 532 (Fall 2022)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 432 (Fall 2022)
  • Honors Thesis
    BIOC 498H (Fall 2022)
  • Research
    EIS 900 (Fall 2022)
  • Research
    GENE 900 (Fall 2022)

2021-22 Courses

  • Independent Study
    ECOL 499 (Spring 2022)
  • Independent Study
    ENTO 399 (Spring 2022)
  • Research
    EIS 900 (Spring 2022)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 432 (Fall 2021)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ECOL 432 (Fall 2021)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ENTO 432 (Fall 2021)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MCB 432 (Fall 2021)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 432 (Fall 2021)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 532 (Fall 2021)
  • Independent Study
    ECOL 499 (Fall 2021)
  • Lab Research Rotation
    GENE 792 (Fall 2021)

2020-21 Courses

  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 432 (Fall 2020)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ECOL 432 (Fall 2020)
  • Comparative Immunology
    EIS 532 (Fall 2020)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ENTO 432 (Fall 2020)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MCB 432 (Fall 2020)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 432 (Fall 2020)
  • Directed Research
    MCB 792 (Fall 2020)
  • Meth In Ento & Insect Science
    EIS 792 (Fall 2020)

2019-20 Courses

  • Independent Study
    ENTO 299 (Spring 2020)
  • Meth In Insect Science
    EIS 700 (Spring 2020)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 432 (Fall 2019)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 532 (Fall 2019)
  • Comparative Immunology
    EIS 532 (Fall 2019)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MCB 432 (Fall 2019)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MCB 532 (Fall 2019)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 432 (Fall 2019)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 532 (Fall 2019)
  • How Insects Shaped Human Hist
    ENTO 160D1 (Fall 2019)

2018-19 Courses

  • Comparative Immunology
    ACBS 432 (Fall 2018)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ECOL 432 (Fall 2018)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ECOL 532 (Fall 2018)
  • Comparative Immunology
    EIS 532 (Fall 2018)
  • Comparative Immunology
    ENTO 432 (Fall 2018)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MCB 432 (Fall 2018)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 432 (Fall 2018)
  • Comparative Immunology
    MIC 532 (Fall 2018)
  • Insects and Culture
    ENTO 160D1 (Fall 2018)

2017-18 Courses

  • Insects and Culture
    ENTO 160D1 (Spring 2018)

Related Links

UA Course Catalog

Scholarly Contributions

Journals/Publications

  • Wang, J., Jin, H., Schlenke, T. A., Yang, Y., Wang, F., Yao, H., Fang, Q., & Ye, G. (2020). Lipidomics reveals how the endoparasitoid wasp Pteromalus puparum manipulates host energy stores for its young. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1865, 1-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158736
  • Wang, J., Yan, Z., Xiao, S., Wang, B., Fang, Q., Schlenke, T. A., & Ye, G. (2020). Characterization of a cell death-inducing endonuclease-like venom protein from Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Pest Management Science, 77, 224-233. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6011
  • Lynch, Z. R., Schlenke, T. A., Morran, L. T., & de Roode, J. C. (2017). Ethanol confers differential protection against generalist and specialist parasitoids of Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One, 12(7), e0180182.

Presentations

  • Schlenke, T. A. (2019, multiple). I gave four conference oral presentations this year.. (1-3) ESA Conference in St Louis, (4) International Conference of Insect Genomics in Chongqing China.
  • Schlenke, T. A. (2019, multiple). I gave three invited seminars this year.. (1) Zhejiang University in China, (2) USDA ALAR Center in Maricopa, (3) Genetics Graduate Program here at UA..
  • Schlenke, T. A. (2019, multiple). My lab members gave a total of 9 talks and posters this year.. Drosophila Research Conf, AZ PopGroup Mtg, Int'l Symposium on Molecular Insect Science, Gordon Confs, Cold Spring Harbor Mtg, UA EIS Seminar, ESA Conf.
  • Schlenke, T. A. (2018, November). Behavioral defenses in host-parasite interactions. Entomological Society of America conference. Vancouver, BC.
  • Schlenke, T. A. (2017, 2017). Various titles. Invited seminars. various: various.
    More info
    I gave an invited seminar titled "Antagonistic coevolution between hosts and parasites: fruit flies and their parasitic wasps" at the Department of Molecular and Systems Biology at Dartmouth. I also gave seminars at UA at the Microbiology Lunch Series and in the Department of Ecology and Evolution.
  • Schlenke, T. A. (2017, 2017). Various titles. Talks and posters at scientific conferences.. various: various.
    More info
    I gave a talk at the 2017 AZ PopGroup Conference in Tempe titled "Antagonistic coevolution between hosts and parasites". I also collaborated on a talk at the Evolution Conference in Portland and was the senior author on a poster at the Drosophila Research Conference in San Diego.

 Edit my profile

UA Profiles | Home

University Information Security and Privacy

© 2025 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona.