Host genetics plays a critical role in infection. At the individual host level, host genotype can determine the probability of infection with a specific parasite genotype, as well as impacting the overall severity of disease. At the population level, different pathogen behaviours emerge depending on host genetic properties. My research incorporates realistic host genetics into epidemiological models of infectious disease. I use these models to explore both evolutionary and biomedical questions.
I am particularly interested in how humans and non-human primates have adapted to malaria parasites (e.g. through mutations in haemoglobin or by changing the properties of red blood cell receptors), and what this means for the sharing of malaria parasites between humans and non-human primate species. I am also fascinated by the incredible diversity of certain immune system gene families (e.g. the Major Histocompatibility Complex molecules and the Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors). How did this diversity evolve, and how can we properly incorporate such diversity into our understanding of the spread of infectious diseases?
