Parasitology

Parasitology examines the interaction between hosts and parasites. Parasites can cause great damage to crops, livestock and human hosts, as well as being important parts of natural ecosystems. Consequently, a growing understanding of parasites has important economic and public health implications, as well as ramifications for ecology and conservation in general.

The Group's principal investigator Celia Holland focuses upon helminths of importance in both human and other animal hosts. Recent projects have explored the epidemiology of soil-transmitted nematodes, with projects based in Africa and Ireland. In particular, both field-based and laboratory studies seek to investigate the factors that contribute to predisposition to heavy Ascaris infection. Human and murine toxocariasis is another area of research, which extends to epidemiological studies in humans and the use of the mouse model to investigate the interrelationship between brain involvement, host behaviour and immunity. Ecological work concerns the helminth community structure and population dynamics of parasites in vertebrate hosts. Fish and Acanthocephala have received particular attention and a recent project on possible strain differences in Pomphorhynchus laevis utilizes ecological, morphological and genetic approaches.

You can find out more about our research at the Parasitology Group Webpage