M-EID Focal Areas of Research

Photo By: Stefan Ekernas

Research Area 1 (RA-1). Patterns and distribution of pathogens in the environment.

The focus of RA-1 is on patterns of disease (chaotic, wave, cyclic, etc.) and the influence of environmental factors (e.g. climate, pollution, physicochemical parameters) on these patterns. Trainees working in this area will have interests in spatial and temporal patterns of disease spread at landscape scales. Relevant research includes changing pathogen patterns in response to changing environments, and spread of newly introduced pathogens in an environment. Investigations in this area will require extensive use of mathematical modeling, analysis of spatial data, and visualization methods, in addition to field and laboratory experimentation.

• Group Project 1 (GP-1). Patterns and distribution of free-living pathogens.

• This project focuses on free-living pathogens; those that do not require a host to complete their life cycle, but that may use a host for amplification. These studies are relevant to a diverse group of important diseases caused by water borne bacteria, ranging from coliform contamination from agricultural activities to cholera pandemics.

• Group Project 2 (GP-2) Patterns and distribution of obligate pathogens.

• This project will focus on patterns and distribution of pathogens that require a host to complete their life cycle. This scenario is relevant to numerous disease systems that entail maintenance of a potential pathogen in one host with sporadic infections and consequent disease in a different host. Because environmental factors influence pathogen and host differently, the complexity of this project area is increased.

Photo By: Stefan Ekernas

Research Area 2.  Host-pathogen adaptations and interactions.

The focus of research in RA-2 will be on how infection affects various aspects of host biology (e.g., behavior, demographics, genetics, social systems- GP-3), and how an infected host can impact pathogen fitness (e.g., evolution, genetics, molecular biology, behavior- GP-4). Trainees working in this research area will have an interest in individual attributes and responses of microbe and host. Relevant research includes strategies and outcomes of co-adaptation of pathogen and host, and host factors that affect transmission of a pathogen. Investigation of these questions will require extensive use of experimental statistics, bioinformatics, and molecular evolutionary algorithms in addition to field and laboratory experimentation.

• Group Project 3 (GP-3). Effect of pathogens on host fitness:

• In this group project, Trainees will study the effect of infection on host fitness and behavior. An important outcome of this research is to determine if infected hosts behave differently than uninfected hosts, and if so, do differences in behavior affect transmission or maintenance of the pathogen in the population?

• Group Project 4 (GP-4). Effect of hosts on pathogen fitness.

• The process of co-evolution and adaptation also leaves unique molecular and biological signatures on microbes. Pathogens evolve to the specific social structure, mating system, etc., of their host to optimize transmission. Because most pathogens are less complex than vertebrate hosts, their molecular adaptive strategies can promote a deeper understanding of host biology. Of equal importance, knowledge of co-adaptive strategies provides a basis for identifying obstacles an emerging pathogen must surmount to become established in a new host species.