Dominik Wodarz

Microbiomes change the rules of host evolution

This study shows microbiomes alter host evolutionary dynamics by changing effective population size and selection coefficients, leading to different evolutionary outcomes than classical predictions.

Hierarchical tissue structure creates history-dependent barriers to clonal invasion

The paper shows that hierarchical tissue structure creates history-dependent barriers to clonal invasion, with established clones affecting the invasion thresholds for subsequent mutants.

Superspreaders increase deleterious mutant burden and can accelerate the evolution of complex traits in pathogens

The paper shows that superspreaders in contact networks suppress selection, increase deleterious mutant persistence, and can accelerate or decelerate complex evolutionary processes.

Population structure reverses selection of variants with proportionally scaled birth and death rates

The paper shows that in structured populations, variants with proportionally scaled birth and death rates can be advantageous or disadvantageous, altering their fixation probabilities compared to neutral mutants.

Spatial population structure can reverse the dependence of mutant burden on the death-to-birth ratio of cells

This paper shows spatial structure in cell populations can change how mutant burden depends on the death-to-birth ratio, explaining conflicting clinical observations about tumor turnover and patient outcomes.

Compartmental structure in the secondary lymphoid tissue can slow down in vivo HIV-1 evolution in the presence of strong CTL responses

The paper shows compartmental structure in secondary lymphoid tissues slows HIV-1 evolution under strong CTL responses by reducing mutant fixation, generation, and invasion rates.

Mutant scaling laws reveal that accelerated evolution via gene amplification requires spatially structured population growth

The paper derives scaling laws to predict mutant emergence in spatially expanding populations and shows gene amplifications promote mutant evolution in spatial settings but not in well-mixed populations.

Spatial dynamics of feedback and feedforward regulation in cell lineages

The paper uses spatially explicit models to show that feedback regulation in cell lineages requires spatial feedforward loops to maintain tissue homeostasis.

Effect of feedback regulation on stem cell fractions in tissues and tumors: understanding chemoresistance in bladder cancer

The paper analyzes feedback regulation in bladder cancer to identify mechanisms causing cancer stem cell enrichment and chemoresistance.

Virus and CTL dynamics in the extra-follicular and follicular tissue compartments in SIV-infected macaques

The paper uses mathematical models to analyze virus and CTL dynamics in SIV-infected macaques, showing how CTL responses affect virus compartmentalization and predicting different outcomes based on CTL expansion models.