David Purnomo
Mary Gates Research Scholar
Winter 2025
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Jeffrey Riffell, Biology
Project
The role of hearing in Aedes aegypti mating
Upon identifying a potential mate, male mosquitoes must track and intercept them, but the sensory modalities they use for this remain unclear. This project characterizes the role of vision in eliciting these mating activities through behavioral experiments. A comprehensive understanding of the sensory processes involved in mating could improve mosquito control strategies.
What I learned
While I learned technical skills such as mosquito handling, MATLAB coding, and graph making, being able to develop the soft skills of staying curious and managing my time were just as valuable. I was taught to keep asking questions and to look critically at my results, setting up follow-up experiments and to develop new hypotheses. Meanwhile, learning how to balance my class schedule and other activities to make time for research gave me the chance to explore these questions.
Advice for future applicants
Put yourself out there as much as you can!
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