Speaker: Allison Shaw, University of Minnesota

Title: Disease-driven movement 

Abstract: Movement strategies (both round-trip migration and one-way dispersal) influence how organisms acquire and transmit parasites and pathogens. In this talk I will present some recent and ongoing modeling work that explores how the presence of parasites and pathogens can influence the movement of both hosts and vectors. The first part focuses on mechanisms by which seasonal migration can lead to decreased infection prevalence in a host population. In the extreme, this work suggests that infection (and its associated risks and costs) may be sufficient as a factor to favor the evolution of migration. In the second part I will present a model exploring how details of insect life history and movement can influence the spread of vector-borne plant pathogens. 

Refreshments will be served at 3:30 p.m. in 240 Bessey Hall.