Meet Lídia Gual Gonzalez, Ph.D., professor in One Health at Clemson University, an epidemiologist working in entomology, a native of Spain now in the U.S., and subject of the next installment of our “Standout Early Career Professionals” series.

By Zach Cohen, Ph.D.

Editor’s Note: This is the next article in the “Standout ECPs” series contributed by the Entomological Society of America’s Early Career Professionals (ECP) Committee, highlighting outstanding ECPs that are doing great work in the profession. (An ECP is defined as anyone within the first five years of obtaining their terminal degree in their field.) Read past articles in the Standout ECPs series.

Lídia Gual Gonzalez, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in One Health at Clemson University. Lídia grew up in Spain until she moved to the United States to get her Ph.D.. She received her B.S. (2017) in biomedical sciences and shifted trajectories from there. Her M.S. (2019) degree from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona opened the world of entomology to her while she was working on a project about Chagas disease. Afterward, she moved to South Carolina to pursue her Ph.D. in epidemiology (2023), looking at the ecological and epidemiological factors that describe the transmission of spotted fever group rickettsia, compiling evidence from studies from rural Colombia to the southeastern U.S.

Lídia Gual Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Cohen: How did you get into entomology? 

Gual Gonzalez: My involvement in entomology began during my master’s degree in One Health. I had a couple of medical and veterinary entomology lectures and became really fascinated with vector-borne diseases. During that time, I began to pay a lot more attention to insects and arthropods and saw how intricate our relationships with these little creatures are.

What do you do in your current job?

I’m an assistant professor, so I get to do research and teaching. I am new in my position, so most of my job is currently building my lab: developing partnerships with communities, identifying opportunities to continue my research in tick-borne diseases, and learning to navigate these collaborations. I am a One Health advocate, so I want to build interdisciplinary expert teams to solve health problems while considering that our relationships with animals and the environment are critical and must be protected for sustainable long-term solutions.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I love thinking that what I do can have a positive impact on our world. One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Robert Baden-Powell, who said to “leave this world a little better than you found it.” I think a lot about the implications of what I do every day, and seeing that there is a purpose for what I do is really rewarding.

During a community project in spring 2024, Lídia Gual Gonzalez, Ph.D., and colleagues visited a rural middle school in South Carolina for an all-day activity to teach children how to prevent diseases that are common in the summer. Among those, they conducted a tick-borne disease station, where kids learned about ticks, how to identify them, and how to prevent bites. They also created a tick workbook for the children to take home and gave them some repellent to prevent mosquito and tick bites.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Probably trying to share with the world the importance of what I do. All of us are doing incredible research that has a great impact and is relevant to improving our world in some way. But we are living in the world of fast communication and big data, and people are overwhelmed with information. How can we focus our attention to what’s important when there are so many important things? Luckily, there is always the right audience to get involved in this, and I spend some of my time trying to identify it. It is still challenging, but it narrows down the energy required to do so.

What do you see yourself doing in the future?

I love what I do, so I have yet to see myself doing something else. I see myself leading a research team, training graduate students, and working together with different communities around the world, protecting their people and animals, and helping them through sustainable solutions.

Who inspires you to do what you do?

All the other scientists and people in academia, especially other women. It is truly inspiring to see that, despite the challenges and difficulties in life, people continue to work hard and pursue their passions. Science has always been an interest to me, and growing up far from academia and science, I never thought this was for me, but I always read a story about someone, somewhere, making sacrifices to be where they are. The enthusiasm and resilience are contagious and give me hope that I can also pursue my goals and become successful.

What would you do if you weren’t working in entomology?

Since I am not an entomologist, and entomology involves only a part of my career, I could still do a lot of my work. But if I had to completely shift my career and leave academia, I think I would try to work with dogs. I see myself in a nonprofit organization that works with working dogs, helping those who need service dogs find the best fit, working as a dog trainer, or identifying homes for retired working dogs.

During a community project in summer 2024, Lídia Gual Gonzalez, Ph.D., and colleagues taught children in rural schools in El Salvador about the main vectors that can be found in their homes and the diseases those vectors can transmit, such as triatomines for Chagas disease, mosquitoes for Dengue and chikungunya, and ticks brought by free-roaming dogs.

Do you have time for any hobbies?

I try to have some time for my hobbies! I am very active, so I always prioritize time during the day to get some physical activity. I am an avid runner and crossfitter, which gives me a break from work and life. I love the outdoors and traveling, spending time in nature, and seeing new cultures. While I don’t do it as often, I consider myself a creative person and enjoy painting. As part of my creativity, I try to experiment in the kitchen, and every so often, I get inspired and decide to learn a new cooking skill.

What is your advice for other ECPs?

Don’t get too attached to your career. I love what I do, and I would choose it again, but at the end of the day, it’s just a job. Life has other priorities, and sometimes we need to relocate, change directions, or work in anything other than what we once dreamed of. Other times, life throws a curveball, and we need to make a sudden decision about what comes next. If we are too attached to what we do now, it will be harder to adapt later, so always stay open-minded!

Lídia Gual Gonzalez, Ph.D., says scarab beetles are among her favorite arthropods because her hometown of Torredembarra, in Spain, once awarded its “Gold Scarab” award to Gual Gonzalez’s grandmother, pictured here, for her influence on the community.

What is your favorite arthropod and why?

I have two arthropods that are connected to my roots: dragonflies and scarab beetles. Dragonfly was the symbol of the scouts I was part of when I was a teenager, while scarab beetles are the symbol of my hometown, Torredembarra, in Spain. A few years ago, my town began the “Gold Scarab” awards, which were given to those individuals with great influence in town. The first one to ever win it was my grandma, who, not surprisingly, has always been admired and loved by everyone. Both insects bring me back all the memories from the time I was living there and make me feel very nostalgic about home.

Are there any exciting directions that you think entomology is headed?

Science always moves into exciting directions, and I think entomology is no different. In medical and veterinary entomology, the near future will bring us sustainable alternatives to disease vector control.

Thanks Lídia! Learn more about Lídia’s work and connect with her via LinkedIn.

Zachary Cohen, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Previously, he worked in a postdoctoral role at the at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in College Station, Texas. He currently serves as the Southwestern Branch representative to the ESA Early Career Professionals Committee. Email: [email protected].