Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A hangover inspired Colin Carlson to meld climate change, public health and ecology. After a night out with a parasitologist, Carlson sat at brunch asking that friend whether parasites could go extinct from climate change. The two went on to conduct the largest study to date of parasite biodiversity.
Carlson is now an assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale University and running a National Science Foundation research project called Verena, in which he and his colleagues look for emerging viral threats. His mission is to help the world understand what future public health emergencies will look like and what we can do to mitigate them.
Carlson is part of Scientific American’s inaugural class of Young American Scientists. Learn more about his work and see the full list of honorees: scientificamerican.com/issue/sa/2026/07-01
#SciAmYoungScientists
A hangover inspired Colin Carlson to meld climate change, public health and ecology. After a night out with a parasitologist, Carlson sat at brunch asking that friend whether parasites could go extinct from climate change. The two went on to conduct the largest study to date of parasite biodiversity.
Carlson is now an assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale University and running a National Science Foundation research project called Verena, in which he and his colleagues look for emerging viral threats. His mission is to help the world understand what future public health emergencies will look like and what we can do to mitigate them.
Carlson is part of Scientific American’s inaugural class of Young American Scientists. Learn more about his work and see the full list of honorees: scientificamerican.com/issue/sa/2026/07-01
#SciAmYoungScientists
