Devin Drown

Contact info

email

dmdrown(at) indiana.edu

address

Jordan Hall 131 Dept of Biology Indiana University 1001 E Third St Bloomington, IN 47405 USA

I am a postdoctoral researcher working with Michael Wade at Indiana University in the Department of Biology.

Research Interests

My research program is focused on coevolutionary interactions, particularly host-parasite interactions. I'm interested in the effect spatial structure in biotic interactions.

In my current postdoctoral position, I develop mathematical models and computer simulations to understand the coevolution of hosts and symbionts. My goal is to gain a better understanding of how transmission strategies evolve and how different strategies may be favored by host-parasite interactions. In a broader context, having a thorough understanding of evolutionary forces may help us better understand the conditions for disease emergence and perhaps disease virulence evolution. My dissertation research studied the impact of spatial structure and migration on host-parasite interactions with the goal of understanding local adaptation and host use specialization.

My dissertation research included mathematical modeling as well as incorporating fieldwork, molecular analysis, and experimental laboratory research.

Lessons from my postdoctoral search

In the final year of my disseration, I began the quest for the next step in my academic career, a postdoctoral position. I don't think it's ever too early to start thinking about postdoctoral positions. Some good resources that offer some great advice.

Books on my desk (a tribute to past times)

I think one of best semesters in graduate school has been the one where I was taking three seminars simultaneously each reading a different book (Evolutionary Theory by SH Rice, Species Invasions ed by DF Sax, JJ Stachowicz, and SD Gaines, and Speciation by JA Coyne and HA Orr). The amount I learned was surely greater than the sum of the parts. Also, I've really been enjoying many of the books in the Monographs in Population Biology series from Princeton University press.

Another spent a semester going through A Biologist's Guide to Mathematical Modeling (or here) by Sarah Otto and Troy Day as part of a graduate reading group. We took our time tackling just one chapter per week and I got a tremendous amount of information out of this book. Anyone just starting out in Modeling should take a look at this excellent book.

Kept handy and recommended

© Devin M. Drown