We can monitor, analyse and then predict how biological systems might mitigate the potentially negative consequences of changes in their environment. Biological systems (e.g. populations of wild animals and insects) adapt over time to external environmental pressures such as rising temperatures or reduced rainfall. We can monitor, analyse, and then predict how such populations might respond to future challenges. For example, a species may migrate or start reproducing earlier in the year to adapt. Our School integrates evolutionary genetics, ecology and epidemiology with pathogen biology and long-term genetic studies on wild populations, to gain unique insights into the ability of nature to adapt. Relevant research is ongoing in several of our Centres and Institutes: Institute of Ecology and Evolution Institute of Immunology & Infection Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution Edinburgh Infectious Diseases Centre for Adapting to Changing Environments Examples of research projects in this thematic area: Professor Josephine Pemberton has carried out long-term study of Soay sheep on St Kilda and red deer on the Isle of Rum to understand how inbreeding influences resistance to disease. Dr Amy Pedersen is looking at the behaviour of parasites that can infect multiple hosts in more real world settings. This article was published on 2024-06-17
