We invite applications to participate in our NSF-funded workshop on immune selection, to be held in conjunction with the 2015 Woods Hole Immunoparasitology (WHIP) Conference, 19-22 April in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA.
Natural selection operates on the ecological dynamics of parasites both within hosts and across host populations. Our NSF-funded Research Coordination Network (RCN) integrates theoretical and empirical tools to study these cross-scale dynamics and explain heterogeneities in parasite life cycles, virulence and efficacy of control. A major challenge is to identify relevant and tractable immune parameters to inform our understanding of within-host dynamics. The main objective of this workshop is therefore to characterize dynamics of immune killing in relation to the effectors that target parasites, from vector-borne trypanosomes and malaria to directly-transmitted helminths and trophically- transmitted toxoplasmosis. By embedding ourselves in WHIP, we will tap into broad and deep immunoparasitological expertise in an informal and highly interactive setting on lovely Cape Cod. Primary questions that we will consider during the workshop: Do parasite species that differ in mode of transmission experience differential types/strengths of immune selection? How heterogeneous are the immune responses induced by different parasite strains within species? When does cross-reactivity of immune responses lead to apparent competition versus competitive release of different parasite genotypes? What are the most relevant yet tractable metrics that predict strength and timing of immune selection? What are the appropriate functional forms for understanding and modelling immune selection? Workshop participants are expected to present relevant data and/or theory in short formal presentations, and (even more importantly!) to participate fully in discussions and the real-time development of statistical, mathematical and experimental approaches to studying the evolution of infectious diseases. We will support WHIP registration, travel and subsistence for up to 20 workshop participants. If you are interested in attending the 2015 workshop and WHIP conference, please apply via this link: http://ideas.princeton.edu/workshop-for-2015/ We require a 250-word (max) abstract describing the work you propose to present as a talk or poster to the WHIP audience, plus a brief justification of your interest in the workshop. Please note that WHIP especially favors oral presentations by postdoctoral and predoctoral researchers. Workshop applications will be considered on a rolling, first-come, first- served basis until the workshop fills or 15 March 2015, whichever comes first. For more information on this RCN, please see: http://ideas.princeton.edu/ For WHIP, go to http://tinyurl.com/k5ef6sa.
