Discipline(s):
Biology, Epidemiology
Area(s) of Expertise:
Population and Evolutionary Genetics, Infectious Diseases, Nutrition
E-Mail:
kh2383@columbia.edu
Background:
Kristin Harper’s previous work focused on the origin and evolution of the treponemes: the bacteria that cause syphilis, yaws, and bejel. In particular, she used genetics to assess whether Christopher Columbus brought syphilis from the New World to the Old, to investigate which genes are likely to underlie sexual transmission in syphilis, and to determine how long the history of yaws has been intertwined with that of humans. As a Health and Society Scholar, she plans to shift her focus from pathogens to the humans they infect by exploring how micronutrient deficiencies affect susceptibility to and transmission of infections at the population level, with a special focus on emerging pathogens. This work will combine mathematical modeling, population studies of nutrition and infection, and evolutionary biology. Kristin will receive an MPH in Global Epidemiology and a PhD in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution from Emory University in 2008, and she holds a B.A. in Biology from Reed College.
Journal Articles:
Click here for a list of Kristin Harper’s available publications in PubMed.
