Our lab researches how organisms adapt to their environment, with a focus on the evolution of traits that are relevant to human and animal health. We test hypotheses on ecologically-mediated selection in diverse human populations, non-human primates, and vectors of important diseases.
Disease immunogenetics in diverse human groups:
Human malaria
Malaria continues to claim the lives of hundreds of thousands per year. We’re working to understand what makes diverse human populations susceptible or resistant to malaria.
Photo: CC BY-SA Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata
Respiratory viruses
Respiratory viruses like RSV cause high excess mortality, especially in infants and older people. We are researching the impact of host genetics and other viruses on disease severity. Photo: CC BY-SA James Heilman
Mosquito evolution and ecology:
Malaria disease ecology
We are researching how ecology, geography, and human behavior impact mosquitoes and the malaria parasites they transmit.
La Crosse Virus ecology
La Crosse Virus is a major mosquito-borne cause of U.S. pediatric encephalitis. We are developing methods for vector surveillance and studying transmission.
Mosquito gene drives
Genetically modified mosquitoes could be used to combat diseases like malaria. We are developing improvements on transgenic approaches and assessing field trial sites.
Non-human primate evolution and ecology:
Primate evolutionary genomics and adaptation
We use genomics to understand how primates evolved, focused on the impact of selection and gene flow on traits.
Primate disease ecology and co-evolution
We study how pathogens impact wild primates, with a special focus on those that can be transmitted to people.
Primate conservation
We use genomics to aid primate conservation by reconstructing population history and understanding threats like disease and habitat loss.