I study host-pathogen interactions with an emphasis on the evolutionary genetics of insect immunity. I am broadly interested in topics such as the evolutionary pressures on insect immune systems, the quantitative genetic basis for individual variation in immune performance, and virulence mechanisms of bacteria that pathogenize insects. Work in my lab is currently focused on three systems: antimicrobial defense in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), antimalarial defense in mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles, and entomopathogenic virulence of bacteria in the genus Providencia. We have used population genetic and comparative genomic tests for natural selection to identify likely points of host-pathogen co-evolutionary “tension.” We have also used quantitative genetic mapping to identify the basis for variation in D. melanogaster resistance to infection, although we have shown that resistance is also strongly determined by pathogen identity and abiotic environmental conditions. We are actively studying the role that geographic and temporal variation in the epidemiology plays in the evolution of the immune system in both Drosophila and Anopheles. This is likely to be exceptionally important in the mosquito system, where malaria transmission rates are strongly seasonal. We have described two novel species of entomopathogenic bacteria in the genus Providencia, and are currently studying the genetic basis of virulence in these and other species. We use Providencia as a model system for studying the evolution of entomopathogenic virulence in a microbe, but also as a potential biological control agent. In addition to research, I teach an annual course in Ecological Genetics (Entom 470 / BioEE 480). The aim of this course is to introduce students to population and evolutionary genetic concepts in experimentally applied frameworks. The class has a lecture component as well as weekly meetings in small groups to discuss papers published in the primary research literature. Ecological Genetics is intended for upper level undergraduates and beginning graduate students, and draws enrollment from a variety of majors and graduate fields.