Dr Daniel Jeffares

Research

I research molecular evolution, molecular epidemiology and quantitative genetics of microbes. We aim is to understand the interaction between evolutionary processes, demographic change and molecular biology, including host-parasite interactions.

We use genomic technologies, evolutionary biology and quantitative genetics to understand fundamental biology of microbes. We focus on species that cause global problems, such as the pathogen Leishmania that causes the neglected infectious disease leishmaniasis. Some of the species we work with are shown below.

Our main focus is Leishmania genomics, supported by the strong Leish@York community.

We are part of the UK:Brazil Joint Centre Partnership in leishmaniasis. We work with the PREV_PDKL multidimensional phenotypic analysis of visceral Leishmaniasis in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.

Our Leishmania work depends on collaboration with international partners:

• Carlos HN Costa (Universidade Federal do Piauí, Brazil)
• Elisa Cupolillo (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil)
• Ahmed Musa (Institute of Endemic Diseases, Khartoum Sudan)
• Asrat Hailu (University of Gondar, Ethiopia)
• Jane Mbui (Kenya Medical Research Institute)
• Margaret Mbuchi (Kenya Medical Research Institute)
• Joseph Olobo (Makerere University, Uganda)
• Patrick Bastien & Laurence Lachaud, University of Montpellier
• Sarah Hendrickx & Guy Caljon, University of Antwerp

Research projects

• Leishmania population genomics (with Jeremy Mottram, Paul Kaye and others)
• Extremophile red alga Galdieria sulphuraria (with Seth Davis)
• Plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum (with Ville Friman)

Find out more about our projects

We are grateful for financial support from:

• Wellcome
• Global Challenges Research Fund
• The UK Medical Research Council
• NERC Environmental Omics Facility

Teaching

I teach: evolution, big data biology and genomics.

See more in my online teaching materials.

I organise the Ecology and Evolution seminars in the Department of Biology. Get in touch if you would like to speak. Talks can be streamed live on YouTube.