ECOL/CPH/MCB/V SC 409/509: Evolution of Infectious Disease (Fall 2006)
Course Home Page | Syllabus | Schedule, Readings and Lecture notes

Schedule for ECOL/MCB/CPH 409/509: Evolution of Infectious Disease

Date Topic Readings Lecture slides
T Aug. 22 Hand out syllabus, introductions    
R Aug. 24 Course Overview   Lecture 1: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Aug. 29 A brief introduction to evolutionary thinking 1. (handout) Stearns (1999) "Introducing evolutionary thinking"

2. (website) http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-origin-of-species/ (Read the last chapter of Darwin’s Origin) 		Lecture 2:
PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Aug. 31 The central role of parasites in evolution 1. (website essay) The advantage of sex

2. (pdf file) J. B. S. Haldane "Disease and Evolution"

3. (pdf file) About Hamilton & Zuk
Lecture 3: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Sep. 5 The central role of parasites in evolution Papers from the Hamilton Symposium (pdf file) Lecture 4:
Powerpoint
or pdf file
R Sep. 7 Diversity of infectious disease agents (I)

(pdf file) Pace 1997 A molecular view of microbial diversity and the biosphere

(pdf file) Paster et al. 2001 Bacterial diversity in human subgingival plaque

Lecture 5:
PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Sep. 12 Diversity of infectious disease agents (II) 1. (website) Virus nomenclature and genome structure

2. (website) Virus origins and evolution

Lecture 6: PowerPoint
or pdf file

R Sep. 14 Immunology and disease: how vertebrate immunity works Frank (2002) "Immunology and Evolution of Infectious Disease" (pdf file), Chapters 1 and 2. Lecture 7: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Sep. 19 Immunology and disease: how vertebrate immunity works Chapter 3 from Frank's 2002 book "Immunology and Evolution of Infectious Disease" (complete pdf) Lecture 8: PowerPoint
or pdf file
R Sep. 21 EXAM Exam Info  
T Sep. 26 Exam Discussion    
R Sep. 28

Innate immunity
Joel Wertheim

Reading: Hoffmann & Reichhart 2002 (pdf file) Lecture 9: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Oct. 3 Guest lecture: Dr. Nancy Moran on Symbiotic bacteria in animals

Readings: (1) Sears 2005 (pdf)
(2) O'Hara & F. Shanahan 2006 (pdf)

 Lecture 10:
PowerPoint
or pdf file
R Oct. 5 Antigenic variation of parasite Reading: Chapter 5 from Frank's 2002 book "Immunology and Evolution of Infectious Disease" (complete pdf) Lecture 11: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Oct. 10 Trees and disease: phylogenetics and molecular epidemiology

Readings: (1) Grenfell et al. 2004 (pdf)
(2) Baldauf 2003 (pdf)

Wed. Oct 11: Term paper source and abstract due (more info)

 Lecture 12: PowerPoint
or pdf file
R Oct. 12 Guest lecture: Dr. Howard Ochman: Genomics of pathogens Reading: Ochman & Moran 2001 (pdf) Lecture 13: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Oct. 17 Trees and disease (cont.): phylogenetics and molecular epidemiology   Lecture 14: PowerPoint
or pdf file
R Oct. 19 Evolution of virulence I Readings:
Chowell et al. 2004		 Lecture 15: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Oct. 24 Evolution of Virulence II Readings:
Ewald 1993
Levin 1996		 Lecture 16: PowerPoint
or pdf file
R Oct. 26 EXAM    
T Oct. 31 Exam review, Impact of infectious disease on human evolution    
R Nov. 2 Darwinian Medicine Readings on Darwinian Medicine:
Nesse & Williams 1998
Williams & Nesse 1991 		Lecture 17: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Nov. 7 Evolution of antimicrobial drug resistance Readings:
Levy, 1998
Lipsitch, 2001		 Lecture 18: PowerPoint
or pdf file
R Nov. 9 Evolutionary approach to vaccines Readings:

Soubeyrand & Plotkin 2002 (pdf file)

Letvin 2005 (pdf file)

Gandon et al. 2001 (pdf file)

 Lecture 19: PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Nov. 14 Evolutionary approach to vaccines Readings:

Taubenberger et al. 2005 (pdf)

Bush 2001 (pdf)

Lecture 20:
PowerPoint
or pdf file
R Nov. 16 Case studies: influenza virus and HIV Readings:

Derdeyn et al. 2004 (pdf)

Rambaut et al. 2004 (pdf)

Bush et al. 1999 (pdf)

Lecture 21:
PowerPoint
or pdf file
T Nov. 21 Guest Lecture: Joel Wertheim on Infectious Disease and Human Evolution

Reading: Black 1975 (pdf)

video clip about guinea worm from the Carter Center

Wed. Nov. 22: Term Paper due

Lecture 22:
PowerPoint
or pdf file
R Nov. 23 NO CLASS (THANKSGIVING BREAK)    
T Nov. 28 Graduate student presentations II    
R Nov. 30 IN CLASS FINAL EXAM    
T Dec. 5 Last class: review of course, the future of infectious disease