My research focuses on the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite relationships. Specifically, I am interested in the evolution of diversity and adaptation processes of parasitic organisms. I examine the ecological factors that influence genetic differentiation of parasite populations and infection dynamics, in a context of biogeography and host adaptation.
My research includes a combination of fieldwork and experimentation, molecular analyses, phylogeographic and population genetic approaches.
My research includes a combination of fieldwork and experimentation, molecular analyses, phylogeographic and population genetic approaches.
Sex-biased transmission and infection dynamics in bats
Some of recent outbreaks, such as those caused by Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Ebola and Nipah viruses, have highlighted the necessity of understanding processes driving the transmission of infectious agents within bat populations. However, the heterogeneity of bat populations is often a major challenge for the study of infection dynamics. This project aims at elucidating how sexually dimorphic behavioral and physiological strategies shape population-level infection dynamics in bats, acknowledged as important reservoirs of emerging pathogens. We use an original biological system within an insular context of transmission that facilitates the investigation of both behavioral and physiological mechanisms: the tropical bat species, Mormopterus francoismoutoui, endemic to Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean. This bat species is naturally infected by paramyxoviruses and Leptospira bacteria. This project combines extensive field investigations of bat colonies, population genetics, phylodynamic and transcriptomic approaches.
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