Great Grad Stories: UMF Student Ryan Martin-Hachey – The “Tick Researcher”

Ryan Martin-Hachey, UMF graduating senior from Fairfield, had charted his future in psychology when he came to Farmington, but all that changed at the end of his sophomore year when his biology professor told him about a unique opportunity.

He had always been science-minded and had an interest in the study of living things. Jean Doty, UMF professor of Biology, offered him a chance to work on a week-long small mammal gene-related research study at the MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor. That was a game-changer.

This spring, he is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in psychology and data analysis and a passion for public health.

During his time at UMF, he has worked closely with Biology Professor Donelle Schwalm, served as her research assistant, and become very involved with her research project on tick zoonosis, infectious diseases that can be transmitted from ticks to humans. A UMF Wilson Fellow, he is working on an analysis of the prevalence of tick diseases in the greater Farmington area.

“I am so proud to be working with research of this nature,” said Martin-Hachey. “People in Maine come in contact with ticks on a daily basis and it’s so important to help them be informed about any health risk.”

After graduation, he plans on working as a wildlife technician and doing lab work. His ultimate goal is to work in infectious disease ecology studying how pathogens are spread and their evolution.