Unexpected consequences of interventions for vector-borne diseases

Nicole Mideo 
University of Toronto, Canada.

 nicole.mideo@utoronto.ca

Evolutionary ecology has a long and rich history of developing mathematical models to understand the processes that drive population dynamics. Applying these same tools to parasite populations and exposing the processes that govern infection dynamics at multiple biological scales is important for understanding parasite biology, explaining observed experimental or natural disease patterns, and evaluating approaches for disease control. Using a combination of mathematical modeling and experimental data, my research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary process regulating the dynamics and outcomes of vector-borne infections. This seminar will describe two projects. First, I will discuss how processes acting at different biological scales shapes the evolution of a key life history trait of malaria parasites, what this means for clinical and epidemiological outcomes, and the extent to which subtle shifts in this trait may help parasites evade the effects of drugs. Second, I will show how nuances of ecological interactions between parasites, hosts, and vectors can give rise to unexpected, and potentially counterproductive, consequences of efforts to control disease.

Recent publications:

Kamiya, et al. (in press) Temperature-dependent variation in the extrinsic incubation period elevates the risk of vector-borne disease emergence. Epidemics, doi: 10.1016/j.epidem.2019.100382

Greischar, Beck-Johnson & Mideo (2019) Partitioning the influence of ecology across scales on parasite evolution. Evolution 73: 2175–2188.

Hall & Mideo (2018) Linking sex differences to the evolution of infectious disease life-histories. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 373: 20170431.