Meet a Scientist: Kerry Padgett (Patreon)

Hey Deep Peeps,

It takes a lot of time and effort to produce each episode of Deep Look, and we couldn’t do it without the help of scientists and other valuable collaborators who have closely worked with us over the years. We’re introducing several of these wonderful partners to you in a series of short profiles so you can get a deeper look at their expertise.

Meet Kerry Padgett, the laboratory chief of the High Risk Pathogens Section at the California Department of Public Health in Richmond, California. 

“I have a terrific job. My colleagues and I work to help protect the health and well-being of Californians from diseases transmitted to people from insects and other animals. I conduct prevention, surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases, including hantavirus, plague, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and other tick-borne and mosquito-borne diseases.”

Back in 2018, Padgett served as a technical adviser and field consultant for producer Gabriela Quirós’ “really terrific –– and some think creepy –– short video “How Ticks Dig in with a Mouth Full of Hooks.”

“We really wanted to showcase, very close up, how to remove a tick. Therefore, we needed a tick to be embedded in someone’s skin. I spent a morning in Gabriela Quirós’ living room, with stage lighting, trying to get a female tick to feed on my arm. I have never actually TRIED to get a tick to feed on me, and I thought ticks would be really excited to get an easy free meal. I knew if we removed the tick soon after attachment, there would be no risk of Lyme disease transmission to me.”

Credit: Josh Cassidy/KQED

“Cinematographer Josh Cassidy got hours of photos while a tick strolled back and forth on my arm. In the end, no adult ticks attached to any of our arms. I even tried placing three adult ticks on my arms underneath bandages and waited until going home in the evening. These also declined to feed (and yes, one was lost somewhere in my clothing … so don’t try this at home!)”

Padgett wanted to add that Gabriela “was very impressive to work with, both in her uncanny talent at spotting ticks questing at the end of grass as well as her attention to scientific detail. She asked deeper and deeper questions to make sure she really got the science right. As a scientist, it was a real pleasure to participate in the making of a Deep Look video.”

Photo of Dr. Kerry Padgett collecting nymphal ticks off a tick flag in Berkeley’s Tilden Park  courtesy of Padgett.