Dr. David Allan Dame sought to improve knowledge of public health pests and develop sound technology and suitable products for their control.
GAINESVILLE, FL, November 01, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present David Allan Dame, PhD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Dame celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
As a federal scientist with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS, USDA) for 26 years followed by 27 years as an independent contractor directing Entomological Services, a consulting firm, Dr. Dame sought to improve knowledge of public health pests and develop sound technology and suitable products for their control. Throughout his career, he conducted public health-related research and provided technical assistance to industry, academia, public health-related institutions and international agencies until final retirement in 2015, focusing on arthropod pests and vectors of human and animal diseases.
He conducted laboratory and field studies that helped the industry obtain the first EPA mosquito control product registrations for insect growth regulators, bacteria, chitin synthesis inhibitors and fungi, and screened dozens of other promising compounds for the industry and the World Health Organization (WHO). He collaborated in field studies with mosquito control districts and state experiment stations to assess new mosquito control methods and strategies with insecticides, biocontrol organisms and spatial repellents. He worked with the industry to improve ground and aerial ultra-low-volume insecticide application efficacy. The research programs he supervised achieved multiple objectives, including clarifying the complex life cycles of microsporidian parasites of mosquitoes and their influence on mosquito density; characterizing the impact on vector mosquitoes of laboratory-reared predatory mosquitoes (Toxorhynchites species) released in urban habitats; determining the genetics of vector mosquito species; constructing a genetic sexing strain of Anopheles albimanus to enable cost-effective mass rearing; and devising effective traps for monitoring mosquito and biting fly abundance and for assessment of pest and vector population control through trapping.
He conducted studies on the use of radiation and chemosterilants for reproductive sterilization of mosquitoes and implementation of the sterile insect technique (SIT). His colleagues and he demonstrated the extraordinary effectiveness of mosquito SIT and a genetically engineered sexing strain, which enabled male-only mass production (because males don't bite and transmit pathogens), leading to the successful outcome of SIT trials with malaria vectors in Central America. These pioneering studies demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of largescale sterile mosquito production and release for control of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. Concurrently, conducting SIT research in Africa, Dr. Dame served as ARS/U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) coordinator and lead scientist in successful on-site SIT studies and has been recognized for pioneering the use of sterile tsetse flies to combat broad spread, devastating human and animal sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) in Africa.
Dr. Dame provided technical advice and leadership for organizations that are concerned with public health pests and devoted to developing control methods for arthropod-borne disease. He served on the WHO working group on global collaboration for development of public health pesticides, and as committee member, chair and editor preparing technical guidelines on assessment of ground and aerial ultra low volume pesticide applications. He is a former expert panel member for WHO on parasitic diseases, and for the Food and Agriculture Organization on ecological and technical aspects of African trypanosomiasis. He provided on-site technical assistance to IAEA staff and research coordination committees on SIT, insect mass rearing, quality control and long range strategy issues, participated in symposia and committee meetings, and prepared and edited conference reports and technical documents. He traveled to over 26 countries to conduct research, review programs, provide advice and give invitational presentations, while at the same time learning about international public health entomology.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, David Allan Dame, Ph.D., has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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