Dr. Janecka returns to her hometown, El Paso, to join UTEP after completing a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). Her research background centers on the effects of human habitat alteration on host-parasite co-evolution in river ecosystems, parasite biodiversity, and evolution, and integrating applied conservation and endangered species management with empirical research.

• Ph D in Biology, Texas A&M University (2019)
• Ph D in Biology, Texas A&M University (2019)
• MS in Biology, The University of Texas-Pan American (2010)
• MS in Biology , University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2010)
• BS in Environmental Biology, Emporia State University (2006)
• BS in Environmental Biology , Emporia State University (2006)

• Niche partitioning and distance upstream shape R. aniarum infection in sympatric watersnakes (Nerodia spp.) on the Concho and Colorado Rivers in Texas, U.S.A. (2025), Mary J. Janecka.
• Parasite gene flow in riverine habitats: ascertaining the roles of stream drift, river bifurcations and host dispersal. BioRxiv (2022), Mary J. Janecka.
• Expert range maps of global mammal distributions harmonised to three taxonomic authorities. Journal of Biogeography (2022), Charles Marsh, Mary J. Janecka.
• A guide for developing a field research safety manual that explicitly considers risk for marginalized identities in the sciences. (2022), , , , , Mary J. Janecka.
• Expert range maps of global mammal distributions harmonised to three taxonomic authorities. (2022), Mary J. Janecka.

• Biodiversity under stress: Fish-parasite interactions in the Rio Grande Basin (2025), Volume Austin, TX, Karen Stopani, Leticia Y. Giron , Roberto Gomez III, Elizabeth Field , Mary J. Janecka.
• Identification of Sexual Signals in Lepomis spp. from West Texas River Systems: A Multi-Factor Approach to Identifying Sexual Traits in Native Sunfish (2025), Volume El Paso, TX , Leticia Y. Giron, Elizabeth Field , Mary J. Janecka.
• The landscape genetics of host-parasite biodiversity in rivers (2023), Volume University of Texas at El Paso, Mary J. Janecka.
• Adaptive Evolution and Host-Parasite Biodiversity (2023), Volume Kingsville Texas, Mary J. Janecka.
• Social Hosts, Virgin Birth and Waterfalls (2022), Volume College Station, TX, Mary J. Janecka.

• Subaward: NSF OSIB: Dynamic interactions between host social behavior and parasite virulence. (01/01/2024 - 12/31/2027) National Science Foundation
• Enhanced blood-seeking behaviors in ticks carrying infectious diseases: illuminating the ecology, epidemiology, and evolutionary consequences of transmitting pathogens. (01/01/2024 - 09/30/2024) University of Texas at El Paso
• Host-parasite coevolution against the current: How do river architecture, unidirectional drift and host behavior shape parasite coevolutionary potential? (01/01/2020 - 12/31/2023)