The Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Diseases
Course #: BIOL 354, Class #: 5405, Section #: 01
Description
The ecology and evolution of infectious diseases encompasses interactions among hosts, pathogens and parasites, and their environments. Disease emergence, including zoonotic diseases spread from wildlife to humans, is increasing with ecological change. Thus, prediction and prevention of disease outbreaks depend on understanding not only human and veterinary medicine, but also the ecological and evolutionary framework. Students will be given an overview of the variety and ubiquity of disease systems, and introduced to conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of disease causation, transmission, emergence, management, and host-parasite coevolution. Because the field is highly interdisciplinary, we will study basic principles of comparative and ecological immunology, parasitology, microbial ecology, epidemiology and spatial modeling, genetics and genomics, and current methodological approaches to disease ecology research in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial systems. This course includes a strong writing component, as well as team projects and student-led discussions of primary literature. Students involved in disease-related research may choose to utilize assignments to advance their research goals.
Prerequisites
BIOL 290 and BIOL 252/254 and BIOL 210/212
Course Details
Date / Time
1/25/27 - 5/12/27
TuTh 11a.m. – 12:15p.m.
Location
University Hall Y01-1350 TEAL
Credits
3
Session
Regular Academic Session
Class Dates
1/25/2027 - 5/12/2027
Location
University Hall Y01-1350 TEAL
Enrolled / Capacity
0 / 40
Status
Open