I study the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases in primates.

Parasites and pathogens are ubiquitous in wild primates, yet we know remarkably little about the ecological drivers of parasitism and their evolutionary consequences.

I use phylogenetic methods, theoretical modeling and field research to address a wide range of questions, such as:

• How do infectious diseases move through populations and social networks? 

• Has parasite risk shaped the evolution of primate behavior and immune defenses? 

• How can we use this knowledge to improve our understanding of human health and evolution?

My research on disease ecology relies on understanding primate behavior, ecology and evolution. Thus, I also conduct comparative research on aspects of primate sociality and ecology, including recent research on group composition and life history.

In past research, I studied the evolution of mammalian sleep, again with an eye toward infectious disease risk and host defenses. I also apply an epidemiological and evolutionary perspective to study cultural evolution, including methods to detect social learning.

This broad approach integrates variation at multiple levels of biological organization and is captured in a book that I wrote on The Comparative Approach in Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology (University of Chicago Press).

I am excited to be moving to Duke University in Summer, 2013, to join the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology and the Duke Global Health Institute. I welcome students and visiting scientists who are interested in applying these integrative approaches to address their research interests.

Next workshop: Spring, 2013!

More in early 2013...

	The Comparative Approach in Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology by Charles Nunn University of Chicago Press (2011)
	Infectious Diseases in Primates: Behavior, Ecology and Evolution by Charles Nunn and Sonia Altizer Oxford University Press (2006)
	Evolution of Sleep Edited by Patrick McNamara, Robert Barton and Charles Nunn Cambridge University Press (2009)

 

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