PhD Studentship Available at University of Sheffield Project: "Understanding the indirect effects of vaccination programmes: a community ecology approach"
Supervisors: Owen Petchey, Amy Pedersen & Andy Fenton We invite highly motivated students to apply for a PhD studentship (NERC directly funded, UK citizens only) to develop theoretical models of host-parasite community ecology. The studentship will be part of a larger NERC funded project studying co-infection dynamics in a wild mouse population in the UK. A background in mathematical biology and/or quantitative ecology is recommended, but not essential. Research outline: In natural systems, individual host organisms are often co-infected by a number of different parasite species. These parasites exploit a range of host tissues and resources, making resource competition between parasites likely. The hostÂ’s immune system attacks parasites, which can cause indirect interactions, such as apparent competition, between parasites. Viewing the parasites, resources, and immune system as a community of interacting players is an emerging area in the field of parasitology. However, many uncertainties exist about within-host parasite communities. How much resource competition occurs between parasite species? What is the functional form of the response of the immune system to parasite intensity? How strong are tradeoffs between different components of the immune system? What are the strengths of direct and indirect interactions between parasites? The aims of this research will be to develop within- host parasite models based on a community ecology approach to address these questions. In addition, an applied consequence of the interactions between parasites, resources, and immune responses is their effects on treatment and vaccination strategies. Since successful vaccination can be viewed as the extinction of a species from a community, a significant aim of the project is to use methods from community ecology to explore the potential indirect consequences of vaccination programmes. Applications will be accepted until March 27th. The position will start in September 2009 and be based in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield. Under special circumstances the studentship could be taken up in the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Edinburgh. Please see this web page (http://tinyurl.com/dx7fpx) and email Amy Pedersen ([email protected]), Owen Petchey ([email protected]), or Andy Fenton ([email protected]) for more information. To submit an application, go to: http://www.shef.ac.uk/aps/prospectivepg/applications.html
