David Hughes

Huck Chair in Global Food Security; Professor of Entomology and of Biology

David Hughes

Research Summary

Parasite manipulation of host behavior

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Computer vision–assisted dietary assessment through mobile phones in female youth in urban Ghana: validity against weighed records and comparison with 24-h recalls

Aulo Gelli, Odiche Nwabuikwu, Boateng Bannerman, Gabriel Ador, Vicentia Atadze, Millicent Asante, Silas Bempong, Peter McCloskey, Phuong Hong Nguyen, David Hughes, Gloria Folson, 2024, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on p. 1105-1113

Feasibility of Using an Artificial Intelligence-based Telephone Application for Dietary Assessment and Nudging to Improve the Quality of Food Choices of Female Adolescents in Vietnam: Evidence from a Randomized Pilot Study

Bianca C. Braga, Phuong H. Nguyen, Lan Mai Tran, Nga Thu Hoang, Boateng Bannerman, Frank Doyle, Gloria Folson, Rohit Gangupantulu, Naureen Karachiwalla, Bastien Kolt, Peter McCloskey, Giordano Palloni, Trang Huyen Thi Tran, Duong Thuy Thi Trơưng, David Hughes, Aulo Gelli, 2024, Current Developments in Nutrition

Learning from algorithm-generated pseudo-annotations for detecting ants in videos

Yizhe Zhang, Natalie Imirzian, Christopher Kurze, Hao Zheng, David P. Hughes, Danny Z. Chen, 2023, Scientific Reports

Tailored Forecasts Can Predict Extreme Climate Informing Proactive Interventions in East Africa

Chris Funk, Laura Harrison, Zewdu Segele, Todd Rossenstock, Peter Steward, C. Anderson, Erin Coughlan de Perez, Daniel Maxwell, Hussen Endris, Eunice Koch, Guleid Artan, Fetene Teshome, Stella Aura, Gideon Galu, Diriba Korecha, Weston Anderson, Andrew Hoell, Kerstin Damerau, Emily Williams, Aniruddha Ghosh, Julian Ramirez-Villegas, David Hughes, 2023, Earth's Future

Evaluating a global soil moisture dataset from a multitask model (GSM3 v1.0) with potential applications for crop threats

Jiangtao Liu, David Hughes, Farshid Rahmani, Kathryn Lawson, Chaopeng Shen, 2023, Geoscientific Model Development on p. 1553-1567

Portable Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy of Potato Leaves for Pre-Symptomatic Detection of Late Blight Disease

Chen Zhou, Victor Bucklew, Perry Edwards, Chenji Zhang, Jinkai Yang, Philip Ryan, David Hughes, Xinshun Qu, Zhiwen Liu, 2023, Applied Spectroscopy on p. 491-499

A low-cost, AI-powered Measurement Verification and Reporting System for growing trees with smallholder farmers

Edward Amoah, Peter McCloskey, R Ouedraogo, John Chelal, Chelsea Akuleut, Binti Mwambumba, Brian Meli, Christabel Oyudi, Edna Kibwamga, Eunice Cleophas, Frederick Ochola, Catherine Wangiru, Kelvin Morang'a, Lyon Mushira, Maureen Maboke, Nancy Titus, Serah Oltimbao, Sheilah Odawa, David Hughes, 2023, bioRxiv

Validation of Mobile Artificial Intelligence Technology–Assisted Dietary Assessment Tool Against Weighed Records and 24-Hour Recall in Adolescent Females in Ghana

Gloria K. Folson, Boateng Bannerman, Vicentia Atadze, Gabriel Ador, Bastien Kolt, Peter McCloskey, Rohit Gangupantulu, Alejandra Arrieta, Bianca C. Braga, Joanne Arsenault, Annalyse Kehs, Frank Doyle, Lan Mai Tran, Nga Huang, Nga Thu Hoang, David Hughes, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Aulo Gelli, 2023, Journal of Nutrition on p. 2328-2338

Computer vision-assisted dietary assessment in youth in urban Ghana: Validity against weighed records and comparison with 24-hour recalls

Aulo Gelli, Gloria Folson, Odiche Nwabuikwu, Boateng Bannerman, Gabriel Ador, Vicentia Atadze, Millicent Asante, Peter McCloskey, Doulo Sow, Phuong Nguyen, David Hughes, 2023,

Measuring adherence, acceptability and likability of an artificial-intelligence-based, gamified phone application to improve the quality of dietary choices of adolescents in Ghana and Vietnam: Protocol of a randomized controlled pilot test

Bianca C. Braga, Alejandra Arrieta, Boateng Bannerman, Frank Doyle, Gloria Folson, Rohit Gangupantulu, Nga Thu Hoang, Phuong Nam Huynh, Bastien Koch, Peter McCloskey, Lan Mai Tran, Trang Huyen T. Tran, Duong Thuy T. Truong, Phuong H. Nguyen, David Hughes, Aulo Gelli, 2022, Frontiers in Digital Health

Most-Cited Papers

Using deep learning for image-based plant disease detection

Sharada P. Mohanty, David P. Hughes, Marcel Salathé, 2016, Frontiers in Plant Science

Deep learning for image-based cassava disease detection

Amanda Ramcharan, Kelsee Baranowski, Peter McCloskey, Babuali Ahmed, James Legg, David P. Hughes, 2017, Frontiers in Plant Science

Deep adversarial networks for biomedical image segmentation utilizing unannotated images

Yizhe Zhang, Lin Yang, Jianxu Chen, Maridel Fredericksen, David P. Hughes, Danny Z. Chen, 2017, on p. 408-416

Fungal Planet description sheets: 469-557

Pedro W. Crous, Michael J. Wingfield, Treena I. Burgess, G. E.St J. Hardy, Colin Crane, Sarah Barrett, José F. Cano-Lira, Johannes J. Le Roux, Raja Thangavel, Josep Guarro, Alberto M. Stchigel, María P. Martín, Donis S. Alfredo, Paul A. Barber, Robert W. Barreto, Iuri G. Baseia, Julia Cano-Canals, Ratchadawan Cheewangkoon, Renato J. Ferreira, Josepa Gené, Christian Lechat, Gabriel Moreno, Francois Roets, Roger G. Shivas, Julieth O. Sousa, Yu Pei Tan, Nathan P. Wiederhold, Sandra E. Abell, Thiago Accioly, José Luis Albizu, Janaina L. Alves, Zaida Inês Antoniolli, Nick Aplin, João Araújo, Mahdi Arzanlou, Jadson D.P. Bezerra, Jean Philippe Bouchara, Juan Ramón Carlavilla, Aurelio Castillo, Vanina L. Castroagudín, Paulo C. Ceresini, Gordon F. Claridge, Gilberto Coelho, Victor R.M. Coimbra, L. A. Costa, Keith C. da Cunha, Silvana S. da Silva, Rosalie Daniel, Z. Wilhelm de Beer, Margarita Dueñas, Jacqueline Edwards, P. Enwistle, Patrícia O. Fiuza, Jacques Fournier, Dania García, Tatiana B. Gibertoni, Sandrine Giraud, Marcela Guevara-Suarez, Luís F.P. Gusmão, Sukanya Haituk, Michel Heykoop, Yuuri Hirooka, Tina Antje Hofmann, Jos Houbraken, David P. Hughes, Ivona Kautmanová, Olga Koppel, Ondřej Koukol, Ellen Larsson, K. P.Deepna Latha, Dong Hyeon Lee, Daniela O. Lisboa, Willyane S. Lisboa, Ángela López-Villalba, João L.N. Maciel, Patinjareveettil Manimohan, José Luis Manjón, Seonju Marincowitz, Thomas S. Marney, Martin Meijer, Andrew N. Miller, Ibai Olariaga, Laura M. Paiva, Meike Piepenbring, Juan Carlos Poveda-Molero, K. N.Anil Raj, Huzefa A. Raja, Amandine Rougeron, Isabel Salcedo, Rosita Samadi, Tiago A.B. Santos, Kelly Scarlett, Keith A. Seifert, Lucas Shuttleworth, Gladstone A. Silva, Meiriele Silva, João Paulo Zen Siqueira, Cristina M. Souza-Motta, Steven L. Stephenson, Deanna A. Sutton, Nisachon Tamakeaw, M. Teresa Telleria, Nicomedes Valenzuela-Lopez, Altus Viljoen, Cobus M. Visagie, Alfredo Vizzini, Felipe Wartchow, Brenda D. Wingfield, Eugene Yurchenko, Juan Carlos Zamora, Johannes Z. Groenewald, 2016, Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi on p. 218-403

Diversity of Entomopathogenic Fungi. Which Groups Conquered the Insect Body?

J. P.M. Araújo, David Peter Hughes, 2016, on p. 1-39

A mobile-based deep learning model for cassava disease diagnosis

Amanda Ramcharan, Peter McCloskey, Kelsee Baranowski, Neema Mbilinyi, Latifa Mrisho, Mathias Ndalahwa, James Legg, David P. Hughes, 2019, Frontiers in Plant Science

Gene expression during zombie ant biting behavior reflects the complexity underlying fungal parasitic behavioral manipulation

Charissa de Bekker, Robin A. Ohm, Raquel G. Loreto, Aswathy Sebastian, Istvan Albert, Martha Merrow, Andreas Brachmann, David P. Hughes, 2015, BMC Genomics

Zombie-ant fungi across continents: 15 new species and new combinations within Ophiocordyceps. I. Myrmecophilous hirsutelloid species

J. P.M. Araújo, H. C. Evans, R. Kepler, D. P. Hughes, 2018, Studies in Mycology on p. 119-160

Evolution of the indoor biome

Laura J. Martin, Rachel I. Adams, Ashley Bateman, Holly M. Bik, John Hawks, Sarah M. Hird, David Hughes, Steven W. Kembel, Kerry Kinney, Sergios Orestis Kolokotronis, Gabriel Levy, Craig McClain, James F. Meadow, Raul F. Medina, Gwynne Mhuireach, Corrie S. Moreau, Jason Munshi-South, Lauren M. Nichols, Clare Palmer, Laura Popova, Coby Schal, Martin Täubel, Michelle Trautwein, Juan A. Ugalde, Robert R. Dunn, 2015, Trends in Ecology and Evolution on p. 223-232

Near- to long-term measures to stabilize global wheat supplies and food security

Alison R. Bentley, Jason Donovan, Kai Sonder, Frédéric Baudron, Janet M. Lewis, Rachel Voss, Pieter Rutsaert, Nigel Poole, Sophien Kamoun, Diane G.O. Saunders, David Hodson, David P. Hughes, Christine Negra, Maria Itria Ibba, Sieglinde Snapp, Tesfaye Shiferaw Sida, Moti Jaleta, Kindie Tesfaye, Inbal Becker-Reshef, Bram Govaerts, 2022, Nature Food on p. 483-486

News Articles Featuring David Hughes

Feb 18, 2025

Some global Penn State research is on hold after USAID funding freeze

The Trump administration is working to dismantle USAID, a foreign aid government agency, saying it wastes taxpayer dollars. A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt to that funding freeze, but some Penn State researchers say the damage is already done.

Full Article

Jan 13, 2025

PlantVillage empowers farmers around the world to combat climate change

UN-supported Penn State research-based non-profit expands into for-profit sector with help from Invent Penn State NSF I-Corps programming

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Jan 09, 2025

Virtual speaker to discuss impact and potential of PlantVillage on Jan. 21

The next Virtual Speaker Series from the Penn State Alumni Association will highlight PlantVillage, an AI-enabled "land grant in a phone" that uses data sharing to help farmers adapt to climate change and manage emerging pests and diseases.

Full Article

Dec 10, 2024

College of Ag Sciences celebrates faculty, staff achievements in research

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences celebrated another year of outstanding success and accomplishments in research during the 2024 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 19 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

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Aug 18, 2024

TV Segment

This Scripps News segment features David Hughes, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security.

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Mar 26, 2024

Hughes named recipient of Kopp International Faculty Achievement Award

David Hughes, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security and professor of entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and biology in the Eberly College of Science, is the recipient of the 2024 W. LaMarr Kopp International Faculty Achievement Award.

Full Article

Mar 18, 2024

PlantVillage announces new initiative for child welfare

With a history of successful initiatives in climate change and food security, PlantVillage at Penn State is now extending its reach and influence to address another critical global issue: child welfare.

Full Article

Jan 04, 2024

College of Ag Sciences student aspires to drive innovation in climate solutions

Katherine Chu has embraced the opportunities that the environmental resource management program provides to contribute to innovative solutions.

Full Article

Oct 21, 2023

Xploration Awesome Planet: Ant Research

The unique ways we study ants and why

Full Article

Sep 15, 2023

Seed grants fund research collaborations with minority-serving institutions

The first awardees of Penn State’s new Inter-Institutional Partnerships for Diversifying Research (IDPR) initiative have been selected, comprising a total of 16 collaborative projects that connect Penn State researchers with colleagues from minority-serving institutions (MSIs).

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May 16, 2023

PlantVillage receives $4.96 million grant to combat crop loss in Africa

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is awarding a $4.96 million grant to Penn State's PlantVillage to help increase food production for smallholder farmers who face pests and disease of their crops across sub-Saharan Africa.

Full Article

Feb 09, 2023

The Last of Us depicts a parasitic fungus evolving to control humans. Could a fungal pandemic happen in real life?

What if COVID-19 wasn't the disease to plunge the world into a pandemic? What if it was a parasitic fungus? One that, under the right conditions, can mutate, infect and kill humans?

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Jan 31, 2023

Meet the Zombie Ant Fungus That Inspired HBO's 'The Last of Us'

If you haven't been hiding under a rock — and at the thought of this particular fungus, who wouldn't be? — you've probably seen or heard of the new HBO hit series "The Last of Us," an apocalyptic nightmare based on the 2013 video game of the same name.

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Jan 26, 2023

The Real Zombie Fungus That Inspired HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’

Humans will probably never face a fungal apocalypse, but in the insect world, mind-controlling fungi can pose a serious threat

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Jan 25, 2023

What scientists say about the real-life zombie fungi that inspired ‘The Last of Us’

The zombies are identifiable by the fungi bursting from their bodies: a thicket of spiky tendrils, a miniature garden of mushroom-like fruiting bodies. These fungal parasites act as puppeteers, commanding and positioning the zombies to infect entire communities.

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Jan 21, 2023

The Last of Us zombie infection is REAL: Fungi can devour insects from the inside out - and experts say it's 'not too far-fetched' that a similar parasite could evolve to infect HUMANS

If you've been watching the new zombie series 'The Last of Us', you may have thought you were safe with the knowledge that it was all fictional.

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Jan 20, 2023

What ‘The Last of Us’ gets right about a climate-fueled fungus pandemic

Some fungi are already learning to adapt to warmer temperatures and expand their location, infecting more people

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Jan 19, 2023

Meet the real zombifying fungus behind the fictional Last of Us outbreak

Ants are in trouble, but humans are safe... for now.

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Jan 19, 2023

How The Last of Us Made Its Zombie Fungus So Much More Real (and Terrifying)

One of the freakiest sequences in the premiere episode of HBO’s The Last of Us takes place not when the hordes of mindless infected bodies attack, but when an epidemiologist is asked for his thoughts on pandemics.

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Jan 19, 2023

How a Zombie-Ant Fungus Can Infect a Host

The fungus from “The Last of Us” may seem scary, but in reality, it’s not a threat to humans.

Full Article

Jan 17, 2023

Scientists Talk “The Last of Us” Fungus

The discourse surrounding HBO’s “The Last of Us” series has touched upon the opening episode’s very first scene, a creation wholly of the TV show which sees some familiar character actors portraying participants on a 1960s new show discussing pandemics.

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Jan 17, 2023

The Real Science Behind ‘The Last Of Us’, According to a Biologist

We speak to Professor David Hughes, who consulted on the original videogame.

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Jan 16, 2023

‘The Last Of Us’ Zombie Infection Is Real—Here’s What Scientists Say About The Threat To Humans

HBO’s hotly anticipated TV adaptation of the acclaimed Last of Us game series premiered on Sunday, showcasing the world after a devastating fungal pandemic wiped out most of humanity, a fictional brain infection that experts say is inspired by a very real set of fungi that can hijack their hosts and turn them into zombies.

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Dec 07, 2022

PlantVillage Warrior View awarded $2 million from Google to fight climate change

PlantVillage, a Penn State-sponsored project, received a $2 million grant from Google's AI for Social Good program to fund the team’s work to develop accurate maps of dryland landscapes across Africa.

Full Article

Oct 04, 2022

Augmented reality exhibition ‘Zombie Ant Experience’ invades Penn State Berks

The new augmented reality exhibition has arrived at Penn State Berks and it sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. In reality, the ‘Zombie Ant Experience’ is part interactive art installation, part teaching tool that illustrates spore trajectories.

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