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Margarita Kazak

Name Surname: Margarita Kazak

Natural Sciences, Zoology (N014)

Institute, laboratory: Institute of Ecology, Laboratory of Entomology

Scientific Supervisor: Dr Rasa Bernotienė

Consultant Supervisor - 

Study period: 2021-10-01 – 2025-09-30

Research theme: Biting midge (Culicoides: Ceratopogonidae) ecology, phylogeny and their role in the parasite transmission

Main purpose: to get new knowledge on the ecology, phylogeny of bloodsucking biting midges (Culicoides: Ceratopogonidae) and their role in the parasite transmission

Goals:

1) to elucidate the peculiarities of seasonal activity of Culicoides biting midges;

2) to determine the regularities of the Culicoides  larvae development and the distribution of these insects in different habitats;

3) to determine the distribution and seasonality of morphologically identical Culicoides species (Culicoides obsoletus and Culicoides scoticus) in Lithuania;

4) to determine the prevalence of avian blood parasites in wild-caught biting midges;

       5) to clarify the possible effects of trypanosomatids (monoxenous and dixenous) on Culicoides biting midges.

Publications:

Bernotienė R., Ježova T., Bukauskaitė D, Chagas C., Kazak M., Valkiūnas G. 2020. Development of Trypanosoma everetti in Culicoides biting midges. Acta Tropica. 210: 105555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105555

Projects:

2021 – present Biologist, project „Dieninių plėšriųjų paukščių hemoproteidinius parazitus platinančių pernešėjų nustatymas“, P.B. Šivickis Laboratory of Parasitology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania;

2020-07 – 2020-10 Biologist, project „Paukščių hemosporidinių infekcijų plitimą stabdančių veiksnių tyrimas“, P.B. Šivickis Laboratory of Parasitology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania;

2019-05 – 2019-08 Biologist, project „Maliarijos ir antimaliarinių vaistų bei telomerazės sąveika“, P.B. Šivickis Laboratory of Parasitology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania;

2018-12 – 2019-06 Biologist, project „Natūralių kraujo parazitų pernešėjų nustatymas“, P.B. Šivickis Laboratory of Parasitology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania.

2018-07 – 2018-09 09.3.3.-LMT-K-712-09-0157 „Development of scientific competence of scientists, other researchers, students through practical scientific activities.“ Successfully completed project "Investigation of avian blood parasites in dipterous insects (Culicidae, Ceratopogonidae)".

Training courses

Conferences:

  • 2021. April 22nd 9th Conference of the Scandinavian-Baltic Society for Parasitology, Vilnius, Lithuania. „Avian trypanosomes (Trypanosoma) in bloodsucking biting midges (Ceratopogonidae)“ autors: Margarita Kazak, Rasa Bernotienė, Tatjana Iežova;
  • 2020. March 20th International Open Readings 2020 Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania. Trypanosomatids in wild-caught biting midges“ autors: Margarita Kazak, Rasa Bernotienė, Vaidas Palinauskas, Rita Žiegytė;;

Contacts: e-mail, phone: margarita.kazak@gamtc.lt , +37062613659