We study infectious disease with four main themes:
(1) Ecological/epidemiological & evolutionary theory of pathogens, parasites and other symbioses: A central theme of our research is developing general theory on the spread, impact, and in particular the evolution of infectious disease and their hosts. A key current focus of the lab is on the importance of ecology/epidemiology to evolutionary outcomes.
(2) Lab and fieldwork on insect viruses: We also test theory on the impact of disease using model lab systems and in the field – principally insect-virus interactions including bees and moths.
(3) Modeling wildlife pathogens: We have applied models to a wide range of specific disease systems including tuberculosis in boars and badgers and viruses in bees.
(4) Modeling human pathoges: We also apply models to understand human infectious diseases, including arboviruses such as Dengue.