Applied Math Mathematical Biology Seminar | Nicole Mideo, Understanding variation in malaria infection dynamics

MC 6460

Speaker

Nicole Mideo, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto

Title

Understanding variation in malaria infection dynamics

Abstract

Infection outcomes are highly variable: some individuals suffer severe illness while others seem relatively unharmed by the same infection. Underlying this variation are numerous sources of heterogeneity, including parasite genetics, host genetics, and infectious dose, among others. Yet mechanistic explanations of differential infection outcomes remain elusive. Focusing on data from experimental malaria infections in lab mice, my research has been developing and refining mathematical models to reveal those mechanistic explanations. In this talk, I will describe what we have learned about the parasite traits, host traits, and their interactions that give rise to the observed variation in malaria infection dynamics and outcomes for hosts.