DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Seasonal and within Host Dynamics of a Multi-species Malarial Parasite Community in a Tropical Passerine, Turdus grayi.

本研究调查了热带寄主鸟类土色知更鸟体内疟疾寄生虫的群落动态。初步数据显示，多物种感染在热带鸟类中很常见，宿主血液中的物种迅速周转，寄生虫的流行程度随季节变化，几乎所有的幼鸟都受到了感染。这项关于圈养鸟类的拟议研究将首次描述自然发生的血液寄生虫群落的时间动态。这些数据将被用来描述寄生虫之间的相互作用如何导致观察到的寄生虫生活史、特征和感染模式的变化。这项研究的更广泛影响包括新工具的应用以及对一名巴拿马学生进行实地和实验室技术培训。结果可能会促进我们对疾病的了解，更具体地说，可能会促进我们对疟疾的了解。

This research investigates the community dynamics of malarial parasites in a tropical host bird species, the Clay-colored robin, Turdus grayi. Preliminary data show that multiple-species infections are common in tropical birds, that there is rapid turnover of species in the host blood stream, that parasites vary seasonally in prevalence, and that nearly all juvenile birds are infected. The proposed research on captive birds will describe, for the first time, the temporal dynamics of a community of naturally occurring blood parasites. These data will be used to describe how interactions among parasites result in observed variation in parasite life history traits and infection patterns. Broader impacts of this research include the application of new tools and the training of a Panamanian student in field and laboratory techniques. Results may advance our understanding of disease, and of malaria more specifically.