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Andrew Read
Study systems include
Malaria
Entomopathogenic fungi
Marek's disease of chickens
Selected publications
Read AF & Mackinnon MJ (2008) Pathogen evolution in a vaccinated world. pp. 139-152 in Stearns SC & Koella J, Evolution in Health and Disease, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press
Raberg L, Sim D & Read AF (2007) Disentangling genetic variation for resistance and tolerance to infectious diseases in animals. Science 318: 812-814
Thomas MB & Read AF (2007) Can fungal biopesticides control malaria? Nature Microbiology Reviews 5: 377-383
Wargo AR, Huijben S, de Roode JC, Shepard J & Read AF (2007) Competitive release and facilitation of drug resistant parasites following therapeutic chemotherapy in a rodent malaria model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 104: 19914-19919
Graham AL, Allen JE & Read AF (2005) Evolutionary causes and consequences of immunopathology. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, & Systematics 36: 337-397
de Roode JC, Pansini R, Cheesman SJ, Helinski MEH, Huijben S, Wargo AR, Bell AS, Chan BHK, Walliker D, & Read AF (2005) Virulence and competitive ability in genetically diverse malaria infections. PNAS 102: 7624-7628
Blanford S, Chan BHK, Jenkins N, Sim D, Turner RJ, Read AF & Thomas MB (2005) Fungal pathogen reduces potential for malaria transmission. Science 308: 1638-1641
Professor of Biology and Entomology
Eberly College of Science Distinguished Senior Scholar
Email: andrew.read@psu.edu
Phone: (814) 867-2396
Office: 517 Mueller Lab
Research interests
My research focuses on the ecology and evolutionary genetics of infectious disease, including:
Control strategies
- Can we make evolution-proof drugs, vaccines and insecticides?
- Will vaccination and chemotherapy prompt the evolution of more virulent pathogens?
- Can entomopathogenic fungi be used to produce a cheap organic pesticide for sustainable malaria control?
Evolution and virulence
- How do public and animal health programs affect pathogen evolution (particularly the evolution of virulence)?
- How does natural selection resolve the trade-off pathogens face between replication within a host and transmission from it?
- How does host resistance affect pathogen evolution?
- Why is malaria not a more serious disease?
Interactions between pathogens
- When and how do malaria clones coinfecting a host compete?
- How does competition affect clone fitness?
- How does competition affect the evolution of virulence and drug resistance?
- Do genetically diverse infections make hosts sicker or more infectious?
Immunodynamics and the evolution of immunity
- How does host immunity shape parasite life history strategies?
- How do immune systems evolve?
- Much disease is immunopathology. Why does natural selection allow self-harm?
