Dr. Victoria (Lason) Harrod
Vicky was co-advised by Dr. Jeri Barak and Dr. Russell Groves.
Her research focused on the role phytophagous insects play in altering the habitability of the leaf for rare phyllosphere bacteria such as Salmonella enterica and their distribution in fresh produce crops. Analyzing the relationships between Salmonella persistence in fresh produce and a variety of phytophagous insects holds potential to aid in the development of food protection strategies in the future
Areas of research
Agricultural entomology, insect influence upon plant diseases, plant-insect-microbe interactions, evolutionary biology
Education
PhD Entomology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2022
BA Biology, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, 2017
BA Environmental Studies, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, 2017
Awards and Honors
2020 Recipient of the Robert H. and Carol L. Deibel Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in Food Safety Research
2020 Acceptance to the University of Wisconsin Morgridege Entrepreneurial Bootcamp
2019 2nd place for her oral presentation at the annual meeting of Entomological Society of America in St. Louis
2018 2nd place, oral presentation, Wisconsin Ecology Spring Symposium
Publications
Megan H. Dixon, Victoria L. Harrod, Russell Groves, Ellie Guillemette, Jeri Barak. 2023. The “friends” that help dangerous bacteria get into your salad. Front Young Minds. Link
Harrod, V. L., Russell L. Groves, Ellie G. Guillemette and Jeri D. Barak. 2022. Salmonella enterica changes Macrosteles quadrilineatus feeding behaviors resulting in altered S. enterica distribution on leaves and increased populations. Scientific Reports 12: 8544. Link.
Harrod, V.L., Groves, R.L., Maurice, M.A., and Barak, J. D. 2021. Frankliniella occidentalis facilitate Salmonella enterica survival in the phyllosphere. PLoS ONE 16(2): e0247325. Link.
Abstracts
Victoria Lason, Russell L Groves, and Jeri D. Barak. 2021. Meet me in the middle: Leafhopper feeding preference alters the natural distribution of Salmonella enterica on tomato leaflets. Entomology Society of America, Virtual Annual Meeting, October 31 – November 3.
Victoria Lason, Russell L Groves, and Jeri D. Barak. 2021 Bacteria enhanced as insects prance: leafhopper feeding preference alters the distribution of Salmonella enterica. Phyllosphere Fortnight, July 22.
Victoria Lason, Russell L Groves, and Jeri D. Barak. 2020. Frankliniella occidentalis facilitate Salmonella enterica survival in the phyllosphere. Entomology Society of America, Virtual Annual Meeting, November 11-25.
Victoria Lason, Matthew Maurice, Russell L Groves, and Jeri D. Barak. 2019. Intracellular penetration by Macrosteles quadrilineatus enhances Salmonella enterica persistence in the phyllosphere. Entomology Society of America, November 17-20. St. Louis, MO
Victoria Lason, Russell L Groves, and Jeri D. Barak. 2018. Areas of macroscopic damage caused by western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) exhibit greater cellular damage and promote Salmonella enterica populations. Entomology Society of America, Entomology Society of Canada, and Entomology Society of British Columbia Joint Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada November 11-14.
Victoria Lason, Russell L Groves, and Jeri D. Barak. 2018. Connecting Insects and Human Enteric Bacterial Pathogens: Using Electrical Conductivity as a Proxy for Direct Plant Damage Caused by Macrosteles quadrilineatus in Lettuce and Tomato. Entomology Society of America, North Central Branch Meeting, August 7-11, Madison, WI.
Victoria Lason, Matthew Maurice, Russell L Groves, and Jeri D. Barak. 2018. Analyzing how insect mechanisms and plant architecture influence Salmonella enterica populations. Food Research Institute Annual Meeting, May 23-24, Madison, WI
All art on this page, created by Vicky!
Invited talks
Victoria Lason, Russell L Groves, and Jeri D. Barak. Bacteria enhanced as insects prance: Leafhopper feeding preference alters the distribution of Salmonella enterica. Phyllosphere Fortnight, July 22 2021.
Interests
Demonstrating her passion for entomology-based volunteering, here’s Vicky holding a Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) for the UW-Madison Science Expedition while acting as an insect ambassador.
2019 Swarm to Table Vicky dives into black ant guacamole and cricket nachos!
