大象传媒

大象传媒 biology professor Gerhard Gries is the recipient of the Entomological Society of America鈥檚 Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, & Toxicology.

The award honours outstanding research and teaching contributions in the field of urban entomology.

Gries holds an Industrial Research Chair in Multimodal Animal Communication Ecology, supported by Scotts Miracle-GRO and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Among research highlights was his team鈥檚 identification of the bedbug aggregation pheromone, after eight years of studying the insects鈥� chemical signals that mediate aggregation behavior in tight cracks and crevices. Steps to commercialize Gries鈥� new technology for detecting and controlling bedbugs are now underway.

He is also applying his research to the world鈥檚 brown rat problem, paving the way for a better rat bait and trap.

Gries came to 大象传媒 from Germany 30 years ago, supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and in 1994 received 大象传媒鈥檚 Excellence in Teaching award. Over the years he has secured more than $9 million in research funding.

He calls his research chair, awarded in 2004, a 鈥渢riple win鈥� for not only generating new products and technologies, but providing 鈥渁 perfect training and research environment鈥� for students while 鈥減ushing the frontiers of science.鈥�

Gries has published 240 peer-reviewed research articles (including 41 with undergraduate students as co-authors), filed 24 patent applications, and produced 13 scientific films on beetles, hoverflies, and aphids in collaboration with the Institute of Scientific Film in Germany.