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In this edition of the DIEP seminar series, Sebastien Lion, a CNRS researcher at Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Montpellier, France will be speaking about coupling natural selection and epidemiology. Sebastien is a theoretical evolutionary ecologist with particular interest in the eco-evolutionary dynamics of spatially structured populations
Event details of Coupling natural selection and epidemiology
Date
23 October 2025
Time
11:00 -12:00
Room
Second-floor library

Title: Coupling natural selection and epidemiology

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that pathogen evolution can be very rapid, leading to potentially complex interactions between evolutionary and epidemiological dynamics. In this talk, Sebastien will discuss how theoretical evolutionary ecology can be used to understand the short- and long-term evolutionary epidemiology of pathogens. First, he will present conceptual models clarifying how pathogens can evolve in response to public health interventions such as vaccination, both on short and long time scales.

Second, Sebastien will discuss a methodological framework that can be used to model evolution at different time scales and better capture the dynamic feedback between epidemiology and evolution. Overall, this talk aims to demonstrate how approaches such as quantitative genetics and adaptive dynamics, and concepts such as reproductive value and fitness, can be brought together to shed light on conceptual and applied problems in evolutionary epidemiology.

If you wish to attend this seminar online, please send an email to r.lier@uva.nl to receive the zoom-link.