Sonia Altizer
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Graduate Faculty
University of Georgia
Room 190,
Ecology Bldg.
Athens, GA 30602
Office: (706) 542-9251
Lab: (706) 542-3485
Fax: (706) 542-4819
email: saltizer@uga.edu
Detailed Web Site →
Lab Web Site →
Education
Ph.D. - University of Minnesota
B.S. - Duke University
Research Interests
- Ecology of infectious diseases in natural populations
- Evolution of host resistance and parasite virulence
- Insect ecology and evolution
- Role of infectious diseases in wildlife conservation
Research Projects
Monarch butterfly ecology, evolution, and interactions with a protozoan parasite; global variation in the ecology of mammalian infectious diseases; effects of host behavior on parasite transmission; urbanization and infectious disease risk in wild songbirds
Honors and Awards
2008: Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE)
2008: University of Georgia Award for Teaching Excellence
2008: Odum School of Ecology Award for Teaching Excellence
Professional Affiliations
Science Advisory Board, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
Board of Reviewing Editors, Science (AAAS)
Editorial Board, Journal of Animal Ecology
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, Emory University
Selected Publications
Altizer, S., Han, B and Bartel, R. 2011. Animal migrations and infectious disease risk. Science. 331: 296-302
Altizer, S., and Davis, A.K. 2010. Populations of monarch butterflies with different migratory behaviors show divergence in wing morphology. Evolution. In Press.
DeRoode, JC and Altizer, S. 2010. Host-parasite genetic interactions and virulence-transmission relationships in natural populations of monarch butterflies. Evolution. In press.
Harvell, C.D., Altizer, S., Cattadori, I., Harrington, L. and Weil, E. 2009. Climate change and wildlife diseases: when does the host matter the most? Ecology. 90: 912-920.
De Roode, J.C., Yates, A.J. and Altizer, S. 2008. Virulence-transmission trade-offs and population divergence in virulence in a naturally-occurring butterfly parasite. PNAS. 105: 7489-7494
Bradley, C.A., Gibbs, S.E.J. and Altizer, S. 2008. Urban land use predicts West Nile virus exposure in songbirds. Ecological Applications. 18: 1083–1092
Altizer, S., Nunn, C.L. and Lindenfors, P. 2007. Do threatened hosts have fewer parasites? A comparative study in primates. Journal of Animal Ecology, 76: 304-314.
Nunn, C.L. and Altizer, S. 2006. Infectious Diseases in Primates: Behavior, Ecology and Evolution. Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution, Oxford University Press.
Altizer, S., Dobson, A., Hosseini, P., Hudson, P., Pascual, M., and Rohani, P. 2006. Seasonality and the dynamics of infectious diseases. Ecology Letters. 9: 467-484.
Bradley, C.A. and Altizer, S. 2005. Parasites hinder monarch butterfly flight: implications for disease spread in migratory hosts. Ecology Letters. 8: 290-300.
Altizer, S., Hochachka, W., and Dhondt, A. 2004. Seasonal dynamics of mycoplasmal conjunctivitis in eastern North American House Finches. Journal of Animal Ecology. 73(2): 309-322.
Altizer, S., Harvell, C.D., and Friedle, E. 2003. Rapid evolutionary dynamics and disease threats to biodiversity. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 18(11): 589-596
Harvell, D., Mitchell, C.E., Ward, J.R., Altizer, S., Dobson, A., Ostfeld, R.S., and Samuels, M.D. 2002. Climate warming and disease risks for terrestrial and marine biota. Science. 296: 2158-2162.
Sonia Altizer
As a scientist, I am captivated by the diversity of pathogens that persist in wild animal populations, and my research concerns the ecological and genetic interactions between hosts and parasites. I use a combination of field studies, experiments, models and comparative approaches to understand variation in epidemiological patterns within and among populations.
