Researchers from Upstate and the College of Environmental Science and Forestry are studying ticks in a search for ways to prevent the spread of Lyme disease. Upstate microbiologist Saravanan Thangamani, PhD, outlines the ways ticks infect humans, describes some lesser-known illnesses they can carry and talks about disease prevention methods. Thangamani, a SUNY innovation professor and director of the SUNY Center for Environmental Health and Medicine, also describes efforts to create new, secure lab facilities for this research, which will include studying mosquito-borne diseases, such as the West Nile and Zika viruses.