Dr. Robin M. Bush Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
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Note to prospective graduate students and postdocs: The work in my lab in Irvine is entirely computational. The empirical components of my influenza research are done by my collaborators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Prospective graduate students/postdocs should have a background or strong interest in the evolution of infectious disease, molecular evolution, computational biology and statistics. Postdocs must have at least basic computer programming skills. Note to undergrads and high school students: Because my research is computational it is probably not appropriate for most undergraduates seeking 199 research experience in infectious disease. I would be happy to help direct undergraduates to laboratories where they might gain wet-lab experience. I do not use high school volunteers in my research. |
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I study the evolution of infectious disease using the techniques of molecular phylogenetics, population genetics and protein homology modeling. In particular, I develop and apply computational techniques to study how antigenic proteins on the surfaces of pathogens evolve in response to host immune defenses. Most of my efforts constitute basic research: I develop and test hypotheses about evolutionary processes. However, I also collaborate with scientists at public health agencies such as the CDC in applying my results to current efforts in disease surveillance, predictindexion and vaccine development. My research primarily focuses on the influenza virus, which with subsequent pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the US. I also work on the bacteria Chlamydia, which is the major cause of preventable human blindness and also the leading cause of venereal disease worldwide.
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Click underlined text to download pdf Influenza Bush. R.M. 2010. Influenza Forensics. pp 109-135 in: Microbial Forensics. 2nd Edition. Budowle, B. et al., (eds). Elsevier (no pdf available due to copyright). Chlamydia Reviews Bush, R.M. Predicting adaptive evolution. 2001. Nature Reviews Genetics 2:387-392. Bush, R.M. 2002. Influenza. pp. 576-579
in: Oxford Encyclopedia of Evolution. M. Pagel (ed.). Oxford University
Press, UK.
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