What can host genetics teach us about infectious diseases?
Infectious diseases exert huge selective pressure on their hosts, resulting in all sorts of host population genetic signatures of pathogens past and present. I am particularly interested in studying the genes of humans and other primates in order to learn about malaria. I will discuss malaria infection blocking mutations, such as the Dantu blood group and the Duffy negative mutation, and what their global distribution may indicate about malaria parasites.
Bio-Sketch of speaker: Bridget Penman studies the genetics of infection. She uses mathematical and computational models to simulate interactions between pathogens and genetically diverse host species. Bridget is especially interested in malaria parasites and in how humans and other primates have adapted to malaria. Bridget studied her undergraduate degree and DPhil at Oxford and was also a postdoctoral fellow in the Zoology department and at Merton College. She then moved to the University of Warwick, where she worked in the School of Life Sciences and the Zeeman Institute. Bridget is now an Associate Professor Tutorial Fellow in the Biology Department and St Peter’s College here in Oxford.
Date:
12 May 2025, 13:00
Venue:
Biology South Parks Road, South Parks Road OX1 3RB
Venue Details:
Biology building on South Parks Road (former Plants Sciences department), Large Lecture Theatre
Speaker:
Dr Bridget Penman (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
andrea.kastner@biology.ox.ac.uk
Host:
N/A
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
Andrea Kastner
