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Evolutionary causes and consequences of disease
Course description
This course will involve discussion seminars based on the recently
published book "Evolution in helath and disease" by Stearns and Koella
(OUP 2008). We will adress questions like:
* Evolution of
pathogen virulenc: Why are some infectious diseases fatal, while others
are asymptotic?
* Biomedical implications of host-pathogen
coevolution: How can natural selection preserve genetic variation for
susceptibility for infectious diseases?
* Effects of drugs and
vaccines on pathogen evolution: Can vaccination programs select for more
virulent pathogens? Why is it difficult to get rid of antibiotic
resistance once it has evolved?
Course organization
We will meet five times and discuss 1-2 chapters + one or a few papers
per meeting. The course starts on October 16 and runs for 5 weeks (one
meeting/week). It will also be possible to take the course as a distance
course. The course will give you 2 credits.
Time-period
October 16 - November 13, 2009.
Last modified 6 Jun 2010