Alyssa Marini completed her undergraduate degree in Wildlife Ecology and Master’s degree in Entomology from the University of Maine Orono and currently pursing her PhD in Biological Sciences while working at the Applied Genetics and Genomics Lab at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Diagnostic and Research Laboratory. Her research focuses on vector-borne disease systems, specifically the ecology of diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes. With extensive experience both in the field and in the laboratory, she engages with arthropods in natural environments and under the microscope.

Alyssa aspires to use her expertise in insect taxonomy and advanced entomology training into a career in scientific illustrations for scientific journals. Alongside her academic pursuits, she has undertaken commissioned projects, creating realistic portraits of pets, wildlife, and graphical abstracts for various clients.