Disease Ecology

The major focus of disease ecology is to gain a greater understanding of how diseases spread; the interactions between the hosts, pathogens, and environment; and ultimately the types of changes observed in natural populations. Faculty performing research in this area use experimental- and model-based approaches to address a diverse collection of problems, with the goal of gaining a greater understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of disease. Problems that disease ecology addresses include the phylogenetic history and origin of pathogens, the population dynamics and control of infectious diseases, and the processes contributing to the evolution of drug resistance.