Ecological determinants of the coevolution of hosts and parasites

     Very generally evolution is not only shaped by ecology but also impacts on ecological dynamics which then feedback into evolution. The evolution of infectious disease is a great example of why ecology matters since for example the evolution of resistance impacts on key epidemiological parameters such as prevalence and this in turn determines the selection for resistance. My work looks at the role of ecology in the evolution of disease. I will give a number of examples of both general theory on what determines the evolution of diversity in hosts and parasites and system specific models that emphasise this importance.