Citation | Professor Andrew Read, Evan Pugh Professor of Biology and Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology and Entomology, Pennsylvannia State University
Andrew Read's work has revealed the evolutionary forces that shape pathogen virulence, infectivity, vaccine escape and drug resistance in a number of significant human infections. His work on malaria has provided a substantial body of experimental evidence to show that within-host selective pressures drive the evolution of both virulence and drug resistance. Integrating mathematical models with his experimental evidence, he proposed the controversial hypothesis that some vaccines can prompt evolution of more virulent pathogen strains. Recently he confirmed this hypothesis by evolving rodent malaria parasites in mice immunized with a candidate human malaria vaccine and showing virulence increased as predicted. He also developed both the theory and the proof of principle for the production of evolution-proof insecticides. Moreover, Read provided the critical experimental evidence that animals have genetic variation in tolerance, a host defense mechanism which complements the more conventionally studied resistance. Read has provided some fundamental contributions to our understanding of host-parasite relationships and his highly interdisciplinary work has led to novel solutions to public health challenges posed by evolving pathogens as well as insect vectors.
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