Research

Research

The Center of Evolution and Medicine is pioneering a Precision Medicine 2.0. This effort extends the current Precision Medicine paradigm of defining disease at the molecular level by embracing the complexity of disease and embedding it in the multidimensional context.

Signature Transdisciplinary Projects
Demonstrating Precision Medicine 2.0
The cornerstone of the Center’s research program are projects that generate the evidence that application of evolutionary approaches in medicine and public health produce better health outcomes. These projects are composed of multiple investigators from the different disciplines within the Center and are applying the tenant of Precision Medicine 2.0. Signature projects are bold and transformational with goals beyond the incremental extension of knowledge.

understanding sex differences in disease

Exploring how traits, including invasive placentation, sex differences in the immune system, and sex-specific genomic structure result in common disease risk and generate sex differences in health and disease.

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using evolution to solve drug and pesticide resistance

Leveraging evolutionary medicine insights to mitigate tolerance and resistance associated with the application of health interventions, including prevention and treatment.

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exploring how ancient pathogens become modern epidemics

Exploring the long-term coevolution of humans with pathogens, such as tuberculosis, to allow a fine-grained assessment of the evolutionary dynamics affecting adaptation and transmission of diseases

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studying the consequences of old adaptations in new environments

Identifying processes that buffer ‘traditional’ populations from: 1) metabolic disorders, 2) autoimmune disease/allergies, 3) cancer, and 4) cognitive diseases observed in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) populations

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