Host-Parasite Dynamics and Immune Trade-Offs During Hibernation
Supervisors
Dr Davina Hill, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine (SBOHVM), University of Glasgow
Prof Eric Morgan, Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast
Dr Simon Babayan , School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine (SBOHVM), University of Glasgow
Dr Julia Nowack, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences Liverpool John Moores University
Summary
Climate change is reshaping host–parasite dynamics, with warming temperatures increasing parasite transmission and posing new risks to seasonal species. Hibernators may be particularly vulnerable because immune function is reduced during torpor, potentially increasing susceptibility to infection. This PhD project will investigate how parasite burden affects hibernation and health in European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), a widespread UK species well suited to minimally-invasive biologging studies. Implications of climate change for animal energetics through altered seasonal parasite transmission will be explored for this system and more widely.
The successful candidate will experimentally reduce parasite burden in wild hedgehogs before hibernation and monitor hibernation patterns using cutting-edge temperature sensors. Health outcomes will be assessed using faecal proxies of mucosal immune and inflammatory status, parasite burden and body condition. Mechanistic models of host resources, immunity and parasite challenge will be developed, building on frameworks recently tested in livestock, and outputs compared with experimental data. Climate effects will be explored through in silico intervention and sensitivity analysis. The potential of novel diagnostic and inflammatory markers to validate such models and enhance ability to predict climate change effects on animal fitness and productivity will be assessed.
This interdisciplinary project combines parasitology, immunology, field ecology, data science and predictive modelling to forecast how climate change may alter parasite risks in hibernators and other animal systems. Training will include biologging, radio-tracking, animal handling, parasitological and biomarker techniques, infrared thermography, data management, statistical analysis in R and predictive modelling. The research has wider implications for disease transmission across wildlife, livestock and humans, contributing to One Health approaches in epidemiology.