Broadly, my group investigates the coevolution of pathogens and hosts’ adaptive immunity. We use computational and mathematical tools to test hypotheses and to advance theory. Our earlier work focused on the evolutionary consequences of immune-mediated competition between different pathogen strains, including pneumococcus, human papillomavirus, and especially influenza. More recently, our focus has expanded to include the related dynamics of the host immune response. We are investigating the evolution of antibody repertoires within hosts over time, in particular to identify the roles of infection history, chance, vaccination, and host genetics in generating the diversity of B cell responses. This research involves linking epidemiological and immunological observations of B cells to the antigenic and genetic evolution of influenza viruses. Consequently, it makes extensive use of longitudinal dynamical models of individuals and birth cohorts as well as techniques from molecular evolution to investigate coevolution across scales.
Understanding the dynamics of vaccination is another area of focus. We have investigated the actual and expected impacts of vaccines against pneumococcus, human papillomavirus, and influenza. With influenza, we have been investigating the impact of the vaccine on viral transmission and local evolution and how immune history might reduce the vaccine’s effectiveness and alter selective pressures. Improving vaccination strategies given hosts’ diverse immune histories and the potential for rapid evolution by the pathogen is a long-term aim of our work. Ultimately, we want to explain coevolution sufficiently well to enable prediction, or at least to determine when prediction is not feasible.
Harvard School of Public Health
Postdoctoral - Infectious disease dynamics
2013
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
PhD - Ecology & Evolution
2009
Princeton University
AB - Ecology & Evolution
2002
Long-lasting B cell convergence to distinct broadly reactive epitopes following vaccination with chimeric influenza virus hemagglutinins.
Long-lasting B cell convergence to distinct broadly reactive epitopes following vaccination with chimeric influenza virus hemagglutinins. Immunity. 2025 Apr 08; 58(4):980-996.e7.
PMID: 40132593
Immune history shapes human antibody responses to H5N1 influenza viruses.
Immune history shapes human antibody responses to H5N1 influenza viruses. Nat Med. 2025 May; 31(5):1454-1458.
PMID: 40082696
Interplay between climate, childhood mixing, and population-level susceptibility explains a sudden shift in RSV seasonality in Japan.
Interplay between climate, childhood mixing, and population-level susceptibility explains a sudden shift in RSV seasonality in Japan. medRxiv. 2025 Mar 03.
PMID: 40093205
The role of viral interaction in household transmission of symptomatic influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
The role of viral interaction in household transmission of symptomatic influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Nat Commun. 2025 Feb 01; 16(1):1249.
PMID: 39893197
Reduced Effectiveness of Repeat Influenza Vaccination: Distinguishing Among Within-Season Waning, Recent Clinical Infection, and Subclinical Infection.
Reduced Effectiveness of Repeat Influenza Vaccination: Distinguishing Among Within-Season Waning, Recent Clinical Infection, and Subclinical Infection. J Infect Dis. 2024 Dec 16; 230(6):1309-1318.
PMID: 38687898
Immune history shapes human antibody responses to H5N1 influenza viruses.
Immune history shapes human antibody responses to H5N1 influenza viruses. medRxiv. 2024 Nov 02.
PMID: 39574881
Measures of Population Immunity Can Predict the Dominant Clade of Influenza A (H3N2) in the 2017-2018 Season and Reveal Age-Associated Differences in Susceptibility and Antibody-Binding Specificity.
Measures of Population Immunity Can Predict the Dominant Clade of Influenza A (H3N2) in the 2017-2018 Season and Reveal Age-Associated Differences in Susceptibility and Antibody-Binding Specificity. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2024 11; 18(11):e70033.
PMID: 39501522
Preliminary Findings From the Dynamics of the Immune Responses to Repeat Influenza Vaccination Exposures (DRIVE I) Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Preliminary Findings From the Dynamics of the Immune Responses to Repeat Influenza Vaccination Exposures (DRIVE I) Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Clin Infect Dis. 2024 10 15; 79(4):901-909.
PMID: 39041887
Measures of population immunity can predict the dominant clade of influenza A (H3N2) in the 2017-2018 season and reveal age-associated differences in susceptibility and antibody-binding specificity.
Measures of population immunity can predict the dominant clade of influenza A (H3N2) in the 2017-2018 season and reveal age-associated differences in susceptibility and antibody-binding specificity. medRxiv. 2024 Oct 10.
PMID: 37961288
Predicting pathogen mutual invasibility and co-circulation.
Predicting pathogen mutual invasibility and co-circulation. Science. 2024 10 11; 386(6718):175-179.
PMID: 39388572
Neubauer Faculty Development Fellowship
University of Chicago
2016
James S. McDonnell Foundation Complex Systems Scholar Award
University of Chicago
2014
NIH New Innovator Award
University of Chicago
2014
NIH Kirchstein National Research Service Award
Harvard School of Public Health
2011
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
University of Michigan
2005
Sigma Xi Society
Princeton University
2002
Phi Beta Kappa
Princeton University
2002
Senior Book Prize, Ecology & Evolution
Princeton University
2002