Evolutionary dynamics in infectious disease systems with multiple parasites

Understanding the dynamics of infectious disease remains a key priority for modern science. Hosts and parasites place strong antagonistic selective pressure on one another, and understaning the resulting evolutionary dynamics of host defence and parasite infectivity is crucial. Mathematical models of host-parasite interactions have long played a key role in exploring these dynamics. However, for the mos tpart, these assume a single host species interacts with a single parasite species, but in reality there are much more complex communities of hosts and parasites interacting. In this project we will use mathematical and computational models to understand evolutionary dynamcis when a host interacts with two different parasites. We will also seek to test the theoretical predictions with experimental tests.