Dan Riskin is a biologist with a love for the under-appreciated organisms of the world. Riskin completed his B.Sc. at the University of Alberta, his M.Sc. at York University (Toronto, Canada) and his Ph.D. at Cornell University. His doctorate was focused on the only mammalian parasites in the world-- the blood sucking vampire bats—and the biomechanical requirements of their unique lifestyles.
During the course of his graduate studies, Riskin was invaded by and played host to another parasite—the botfly. These experiences gave him a firsthand look at the destructive and often disgusting results of a parasite infestation. While working on Animal Planet’s Monsters Inside Me, Riskin has expanded his knowledge of the human parasite through the horrific and sometimes deadly accounts of the show’s victims.