Rachel M. Penczykowski, PhD

Assistant Professor

Biology

Evolution, Ecology and Population Biology Program
Plant and Microbial Biosciences Program

Office:

McDonnel 407

Research:

I am broadly interested in the ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions, and how such interactions both affect and are affected by the abiotic and biotic context in which they occur. My research involves a combination of observational studies of natural populations and communities, manipulative experiments in the field and lab, and mathematical models. I have employed these complementary approaches to study host-parasite interactions in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and my current research focuses on wild populations of herbaceous plants and their pathogens.

Research Themes:

1. Effects of abiotic and biotic context on host-parasite interactions

How do physical and chemical features of the environment, as well as the broader community of organisms living there, affect the risk of infection and consequences of disease for hosts?

What are the implications of human-driven changes in climate, land use, and biodiversity for host-parasite interactions?

2. Indirect effects of parasitism on communities and ecosystems

Do changes in the density or traits of infected hosts affect other members of the ecological community, altering flows of energy and nutrients through the food web?

Can feedback loops occur in which effects of disease on ecosystems subsequently alter epidemiological dynamics?

3. Eco-evolutionary dynamics of host-parasite interactions

How does ecological context affect the (co)evolutionary dynamics of hosts and parasites?

Over what spatial and temporal scales does evolution of hosts and parasites affect epidemiological dynamics?

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