Infectious disease results from interactions between parasites and susceptible hosts in the environment. For many populations, we have a limited understanding of the mechanisms that shape host susceptibility and how those mechanisms interact with ecological factors to regulate the spread of disease. Focusing on a simple one-host one-parasite system with environmental transmission, I use theoretical and empirical methods to explore the causes and consequences of variable host immunity. I demonstrate how integrating immune defenses into host-parasite interactions can improve our understanding of disease spread in natural systems.

View YouTube video of seminar: https://youtu.be/g2rVoE-lFwM