M. Boots

The potential impacts of vector host species fidelity on zoonotic arbovirus transmission

This study shows that vector fidelity to initial blood meal hosts can sustain arbovirus transmission even when amplifying hosts are scarce.

Multispecies interactions and the community context of the evolution of virulence

The paper develops an eco-evolutionary model to show how host-host interactions influence pathogen virulence evolution, finding that competition increases virulence while mutualism decreases it.

Spatially structured host genetic diversity leads to the evolution of local specialization

This study shows that spatial structure and host genetic diversity interact to influence pathogen specialization in Plodia interpunctella hosts.

Extending eco-evolutionary theory with oligomorphic dynamics

This paper introduces a new theoretical framework called oligomorphic dynamics to integrate quantitative genetics and adaptive dynamics, addressing limitations in modeling eco-evolutionary processes with multimodal trait distributions and environmental feedback.

The evolution of host resistance to a virus is determined by resources, historical contingency, and time scale

This study shows that resource quality, historical contingency, and time scale influence the evolution of host resistance to a virus, affecting trade-offs and resistance strategies.

Multimodal disease transmission as a limiting factor for the spatial extent of a host plant

The paper investigates how multimodal disease transmission affects the spatial distribution of alpine carnations, finding that combined frequency- and density-dependent transmission mechanisms drive population decline and potential extinction.

The Evolutionary Dynamics of Hyperparasites

This study models the evolutionary dynamics of hyperparasites, showing that transmission mode influences their virulence and ecological impact.

The Evolution of Host Specialization in an Insect Pathogen

This study tracks how an insect pathogen evolves specialization in its host, finding that specialization involves multiple genetic factors and affects different fitness traits independently.

Reservoir host immunology and life history shape virulence evolution in zoonotic viruses

This study develops a modeling framework to predict virulence of zoonotic viruses based on reservoir host immunology and life history traits, successfully capturing human mortality rates from bat-borne viruses.

Bats host the most virulent--but not the most dangerous--zoonotic viruses

The paper analyzes zoonotic virus traits to show bats host the most virulent viruses but not the most dangerous, as human death burden depends on epidemiological dynamics, not reservoir traits.

Multi-morph eco-evolutionary dynamics in structured populations

The paper develops a theoretical framework to model eco-evolutionary dynamics in structured populations with multimodal trait distributions, demonstrating its application to migration-selection models.

The impact of antigenic escape on the evolution of virulence

This paper models how antigenic drift and escape influence the evolution of virulence, showing that non-equilibrium dynamics select for more virulent pathogens than classical R0 maximization.

Ecological processes underlying the emergence of novel enzootic cycles--arboviruses in the neotropics as a case study

This paper examines ecological processes that enable zoonotic pathogens to establish novel enzootic cycles, using arboviruses in the neotropics as a case study.

Accelerated viral dynamics in bat cell lines, with implications for zoonotic emergence

The paper models viral dynamics in bat cell lines with constitutive immune responses, finding that robust antiviral defenses correlate with higher viral propagation rates and suggest implications for zoonotic emergence.

More than a flying syringe: Using functional traits in vector borne disease research

This paper presents a framework for incorporating vector functional trait variation into disease transmission models to better understand and predict vector-borne disease dynamics.

The genomic basis of evolved virus resistance is dependent on environmental resources

This study identifies genomic mechanisms of virus resistance in a lepidopteran pest, showing that resistance evolves differently under varying nutritional conditions and is linked to metabolic, immune, or cytoskeleton pathways.

The evolution of stage-specific virulence: differential selection of parasites in juveniles

This paper develops a stage-structured epidemiological model to show how juvenile and adult virulence evolve under different transmission and demographic conditions.

Consensus and conflict among ecological forecasts of Zika virus outbreaks in the United States

The paper compares ecological niche models and mechanistic forecasts for Zika virus transmission in the US, showing how model conflicts propagate uncertainty and proposes a consensus method to improve outbreak predictions.