ALDF announces Dr. Andrea Love as new Executive Director

January 15, 2023

Dr. Andrea Love, Ph.D. has recently been named as Executive Director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors.

She will be taking over following Dr. Phil Baker’s retirement and is similarly committed to dispelling misinformation surrounding Lyme Disease.

Dr. Love is an immunologist and microbiologist with over a decade of experience in basic science and translational research. She worked previously in academic research, focused on the immunology of differential host-pathogen interactions that contribute to disease pathology, particularly Lyme Disease, and is well-versed in misconceptions related to Lyme disease.

She currently serves as a Regional Director at PerkinElmer, where she routinely provides subject-matter and assay development expertise in microbiology, immunology, and immuno-oncology research areas. Dr. Love is also a consultant for Vital Statistics Consulting (VSC), providing expertise on relevant public health projects.

In addition, she is the co-host of the Unbiased Science Podcast, a weekly podcast and social media page devoted to improving literacy and dispelling misconceptions across an array of scientific and health-related topics [including Lyme Disease].

“Dr. Love is an effective communicator and is passionately dedicated to providing accurate and reliable information to the informed layperson about scientific issues, especially Lyme disease. I can think of no better qualified person to succeed me,” says Dr. Phil Baker, former Executive Director of ALDF.

Her experience in scientific research and education will lend itself well to the goals of ALDF. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she stepped in to help fill the void of public education, dispelling myths and misinformation which circulated widely on social media, as well as providing digestible information for the public in a time when new research was being published rapid fire.

While COVID-19 eclipsed Lyme disease in public health importance over the last few years, it also underscored the negative impact of misinformation and conspiracy theories in the face of a new epidemic. As she moves into this role at ALDF, she will continue to expand the resources available for the public to provide education and address misinformation in the field of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.