Jenny Ezeukwu

I’m graduate student and independent researcher in mosquito vector biology at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU). My work focuses on the molecular mechanisms that control sex determination in Aedes aegypti, the primary mosquito vector of dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever.

Im investigating the regulatory architecture of the Nix gene — the master male-determining factor in Aedes aegypti. Specifically, I’m testing the functional importance of a CACCC regulatory cluster within the Nix promoter using luciferase reporter assays in wild-collected mosquito embryos. My research combines molecular biology, bioinformatics, and functional genetics to better understand how this key gene is turned on and off during early development.

June 2026