My broad interests are in ecology and evolutionary biology with particular interest in the co-evoltuionary relationships between organisms. One specific example of interesting and the one I think is the coolest is the co-evolution is the interaction of the host immune system with parasites. Researchers have long thought that the high levels of genetic diversity in vertebrate immune systems as well as incredible diversity of parasites result from re-ocurring bouts of antagonistic coevolution (a molecular arms race). I study a system with two main players (1) a vertebrate host (the house finch-Carpodacus mexicanus) and its major parasite: a bacterial pathogen that causes conjunctivitis, Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The disease causes the birds eyes to swell completely shut making it difficult to find food or escape predators. They end up hanging out around feeders and spreading the disease to other birds. The epidemic originated in the Maryland area in 1994 and has subsequently spread throughout most of the Eastern United States. In addition, Geoff Hill from Auburn University has shown that certain birds are better at fighting off the disease and that certain birds are more resitant to being infected at all. We are looking at whether the highly polymorphic class II B major histocompatability genes explain some of this pattern of diesease resistance. These genes are known to be the major player in immune responses of humans and rats that have been infected with the same genus of parasite. Ultimately, I would like to understand how both the ecological factors and genetics of the dusease have contributed to its spread.

Education:

B.S., Zoology, University of Florida (High Honors)

Publications:

Scott V. Edwards, Chris M. Hess, Joe Gasper, Dan Garrigan. 1999. Toward and evolutionary genomics of the avian Mhc. Immunological Reviews 167: