Disease Ecology
Description and Project Aims
Animals evolved into a world dominated by microbes. Animals maintain relationships with many of these microorganisms, but in some cases they can have a detrimental impact on an animal’s fitness. Our rapidly changing world is creating new interactions between species, including with humans, and creates new opportunities for transmission and the ecology of pathogens. Indeed, most emerging pathogens in human’s and their livestock have their origins in wildlife, and understanding what factors increase the risk of spillover into humans is an essential component of improving prevention efforts. This project aims to provide data towards understanding the ecology of pathogens in their natural hosts, in their rapidly changing natural ecosystems, and ultimately to understand changing human contact to wildlife. We broadly apply an evolutionary community ecology framework for this work and collaborate closely with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
