I am interested in the role of behavior in disease transmission. At one extreme we have parasites that have evolved strategies to control host behavior, and at the other there is the ability on the part of hosts to completely avoid infection through behavioral defense. To approach the former, I use ants and other insects that are manipulated by diverse parasites. Most of my recent work has been on fungi that control ant behavior. To approach the latter example (of behavioral defense), I have recently become very interested in human behavior and, in particular, the expression of altruistic care by certain individuals during epidemics. I am working on the thesis that belief systems shape the expression of this behavior.
