2017 WORKSHOP

Evolutionary Causes and Consequences of Arbovirus Emergence

Location/date: New Orleans, Lousiana. May 30-31, 2017 (before ASM meeting June 1-5) 
Leaders:       Kathy Hanley, New Mexico State University and Paul Turner, Yale University
To Apply:      Submit your CV and a cover letter (1 page maximum) describing your motivation for 
                                     participating in this workshop. Please note we are interested in contributions that offer general 
                                     or cross-system comparative insights (e.g., conceptual mathematical models linking insect 
                                     immunity to pathogen transmission ecology in general).
                                     Please submit your application to: khanley@nmsu.edu by April 8, 2017
                                     **Accepted applicants will receive funding for transportation, accommodation and 
                                     meals during the workshop**

OVERVIEW

Sheep liver with inflammatory foci: Q. Caudron & R. Garnier

The workshop will analyze within-host and between-host evolutionary dynamics of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), with the ultimate goal of generating models and datasets than enable prediction and control of arbovirus emergence.  Workshop participants with relevant datasets, mathematical models and/or multi-scale statistical methods will prepare presentations on how best to frame and answer focal questions (see below), including critiques of standard/existing methods. Talks will be  interspersed with breakout sessions, during which participants will work together in small groups to refine theory and statistical analyses and to design the next set of experiments required.

FOCAL QUESTIONS
  • How does one quantify or define viral fitness when infected cells from the same in vitro environment can exhibit factors of 1000-fold variation in their productivity of virus?
  • How do virus-host interactions at the molecular and cellular level impact the dynamics of virus growth, infection spread and ultimately the severity of infectious diseases in human and other hosts?
  • How does arbovirus density within host and within vector impact transmission to, and trajectory of replication within, the following vector and host?
  • How do immune defenses of host and vector respond to variation in arbovirus density and diversity?
  • How does host and vector life history affect selection on patterns of arbovirus replication? In particular, are there key differences in enzootic versus human-endemic cycles that favor different patterns of virus replication?
  • How do bottlenecks within and between hosts affect the trajectory of arbovirus replication and diversification? Do bottlenecks enhance or diminish the likelihood of host jumps?
  • How does degree of host and/or vector specialization impact the likelihood of host jumps?
  • What is the role of specific adaptations (ie use of particular host cell receptors) versus general adaptations (ie interferon suppression) versus quasispecies diversity per sein arbovirus replication and emergence?
  • How does selection on replication affect tissue tropism and pathogenesis?
  • Do different classes of vectors impose fundamentally different forms of selection on arboviruses?
  • Interactions among different species of arboviruses are known to affect arbovirus replication, but do they shape selection on arboviruses?
  • How will different control strategies (decreasing vector populations versus decreasing vector competence versus decreasing host competence) shape arbovirus evolution?