NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2013

整合行为学、工程学和数学：将现代网络理论应用于寄生虫的社会传播由于以下原因，对寄生虫传播和社会网络的理解存在差距：1)缺乏实验；2)难以获得社会互动的准确测量；3)与网络的可靠统计比较相关的分析挑战。本研究包括使用数字收发器描述仓燕（Hirundo rustica）的社会网络，以表征属于独立亚种群的个体之间的精细社会互动。通过实验将寄生虫从每个网络中一半的个体中移除，然后进行采样，以测量直接传播的寄生虫的再定居情况，这些寄生虫的再定居情况与社会网络属性有关，该属性是根据数字记录的标记群体成员之间的接触率计算出来的。第二个实验将通过改变宿主腹侧羽毛的颜色来操纵网络，而不是寄生虫，这是一种已知影响生理和社会行为的特征。人们越来越认识到寄生虫传播背景下宿主行为的个体水平异质性的重要性，这种实验方法是理解社会网络测量对寄生虫传播的相对贡献以及理解形态和生理特征如何影响社会网络中的位置的有力方法。在本科研究和教育的职业目标的激励下，科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的本科生参与这项研究是一个高度优先考虑的问题，特别是那些在该领域代表性不足的学生的参与。这项研究将通过建立应用数学系与生态学和进化生物系之间的合作，加强大学的基础设施。与该项目相关的外展活动包括通过燕子监测项目与公民科学家合作。

Integrating behavior, engineering and mathematics: Applying modern network theory to social transmission of parasitesGaps in the understanding of parasite transmission and social networks exist due to 1) lack of experimentation 2) difficulty obtaining accurate measures of social interactions and 3) analytical challenges associated with robust statistical comparisons of networks. This research involves describing social networks in barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) using digital transceiver devices to characterize fine-scale social interactions among individuals belonging to independent subpopulations. Parasites will be experimentally removed from half the individuals per network and sampled later to measure recolonization of directly transmitted parasites relative to social network properties calculated based on digitally recorded contact rates between members of the tagged populations. A second experiment will manipulate the network rather than the parasites, through alteration of host ventral plumage color, a trait known to affect physiology and social behavior. There is growing recognition of the importance of individual-level heterogeneity in host behavior in the context of parasite transmission, and this experimental approach is a powerful way to understand relative contributions of social network measure on parasite transmission as well as understanding how features of morphology and physiology influence position in social networks. Motivated by career goals in undergraduate research and education, the inclusion of University of Colorado-Boulder undergraduate students in this research is a high priority, especially participation by students typically underrepresented in the field. The research will enhance the University's infrastructure by establishing collaboration between the Applied Math and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology departments. Outreach associated with this project includes working with citizen scientists through the Swallow Surveillance program.