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Our interdisciplinary approach involves host-parasite interactions, experimental evolution, sexual selection, inbreeding, and kin recognition. Parasite-driven selection appears to favor MHC diversity, which has influenced MHC-based mate choice. We test these ideas using lab experiments and studies on semi-natural house mouse populations. We also use these semi-natural populations of house mice to test a wide variety of hypotheses under the unique conditions of natural social ecology. We have been extremely successful in identifying exposures or treatments that reduce mammalian health or performance, where conventional methods have failed. These exposures/treatments include Hox gene translocations, MHC genetic diversity, infectious agents, pharmaceuticals, dietary refined sugar, epigenetic transgenerational inheritance and inbreeding. My research program is encapsulated by the six major projects described in this pdf link. |
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My research explores the genetics of host-pathogen coevolution, focusing on the highly polymorphic MHC genes that are central to immune function and disease susceptibility in vertebrates. We investigate why and how natural selection maintains such diversity, including alleles that cause susceptibility to autoimmune and infectious diseases.