Vasyl Tkach receives top parasitology award

Vasyl Tkach, a faculty member in the Department of Biology recently was recognized by his peers as a top researcher in the field of parasitology by the American Society of Parasitologists at its annual meeting earlier this month. Tkach was granted the award not only for his groundbreaking work but also for his outstanding mentoring of students.

“It’s all about people who’ve solved important problems,” said Robin Overstreet, Professor Emeritus of parasitology at the University of Southern Mississippi and former director of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

The award consists of travel and accommodation expenses, an honorarium, a certificate, and the Ward Medal, a special bronze medal designed by Justus F. Mueller.

Tkach’s research interests include evolutionary and molecular studies of parasites. He also studies the life cycles of parasitic worms and their circulation in nature. His laboratory carries out a variety of projects around the world, funded primarily by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.