NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2015

Martinez-Bakker Micaela E, Ypsilanti MI

Investigators

Abstract

_____________________________________ This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2015, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow and a plan to broaden participation of groups under-represented in science. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Micaela Martinez-Bakker is "Effects of maternal antibodies on offspring survival and health." The host institution for this fellowship is Princeton University, and the sponsoring scientists are Andrea Graham and C. Jessica Metcalf. Maternal antibodies are passed from mothers to offspring through the placenta, colostrum, and during lactation and are believed to be important for protecting newborns from pathogens. The fellowship research investigates how maternal antibodies affect the outcome of early-life infections and seeks to explore the ecology of infectious disease by determining if maternal antibodies mitigate the risk of population-level disease outbreaks, with results being applicable to wildlife and human populations. Maternal antibodies passed from mothers to offspring are specific to the pathogens to which the mother was exposed. It is hypothesized that, since mothers and their offspring are exposed to similar pathogens, natural selection favors the evolution of maternal antibodies and improves offspring survival in the presence of those pathogens. In addition to effects on individual offspring, maternal antibodies could modify the propensity for disease outbreaks across populations and at large geographic scales. To address the evolutionary and ecological role of maternal antibodies in mammals, the research focuses on two study systems: helminth infections in wildlife, and measles and rubella virus infections in children (well-established systems for the study of the ecology of infectious diseases). These model systems are selected as helminths and viruses engage different subsets of the immune system; therefore, studying them in parallel will reveal generalities about how maternal antibodies impact overall infectious disease morbidity and mortality. Mathematical disease transmission models are being developed to track maternal antibodies in populations and determine if maternal antibodies improve offspring survival and reduce disease morbidity. In addition to elucidating new ecological aspects of immunity, results may provide tools for policy makers and scientists to develop strategies for treating helminth infections in wildlife and livestock populations and improve infant vaccination schedules. Combating infection in humans, wildlife, and livestock reduces suffering and death and is an endeavor at the intersection of science and society. Training goals and career advancement activities are preparing the Fellow for a research career at the interface of disease ecology and evolutionary biology with immediate real-world applications. Educational outreach is being directed toward under-represented groups with emphasis on ethnic and socioeconomic-status minorities in science. The Fellow is helping build pathways to STEM for people from underprivileged backgrounds by volunteering with The Last Mile Code.7370 (https://thelastmile.org/) which teaches inmates in San Quentin Prison how to do computer programming and data visualization using python, html, and java so that they may be competitive for employment upon release.