Math Biology Seminar: Ailene MacPherson
- Date: 03/01/2017
- Time: 13:45
University of British Columbia
Host-parasite coevolution and a few reasons why you should care.
From the common cold to crop blights, the consequences of host-parasite interactions on our daily lives are unavoidable. Beginning with an overview of the diversity and abundance of host-parasite interactions I will explore several of the evolutionary consequences of host-parasite coevolution, including the maintenance of sexual reproduction and the evolution of gene expression. I will then present results from two projects illustrating the impact of host-parasite coevolution on disease epidemiology. First, I explore how host-parasite interactions can alter disease dynamics, affecting when disease will spread as well as the long term abundance of infection. Second, by modeling genetic-association studies, I will illustrate how host-parasite coevolution can alter our understanding of the genetic basis of infectious disease.
Location: ESB 4127