2026 SCEP Speakers
Morning Keynote Speaker
Microbiology Immunology & Molecular Genetics
Our research focuses on sensory circuit function in parasitic and free-living animals, and lies at the interface of neurobiology and parasitology. Nearly all organisms respond to sensory stimuli, but how sensory circuits specify behavior is poorly understood. We are investigating the neural basis of sensory behaviors in the context of human parasitism. We use parasitic nematodes and the free-living nematode C. elegans as models. The goals of our research are to understand how parasitic worms use sensory cues to locate and infect hosts, how sensory circuits of parasitic animals differ from those of free-living animals to enable parasitic behaviors, and how sensory microcircuits generate flexible outputs. Our research addresses fundamental questions of sensory circuit function and evolution. In addition, human-parasitic worms are a major cause of morbidity worldwide, and a better understanding of their behaviors may enable the development of novel strategies for preventing infections.
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Afternoon Keynote Speaker
The Boyle lab studies the human pathogen Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasma is an obligate intracellular parasite in the same phylum as other human and animal pathogens, including the causative agents of malaria and cryptosporidiosis. It is estimated that over a third of the world population has been infected with this parasite, and it can cause severe and lethal disease in the immunocompromised and in the developing fetus. To date there is no cure for this parasite.
The Boyle lab is primarily interested in identifying Toxoplasma virulence genes and characterizing their mechanism of action. To do this we use molecular, genetic, and functional/comparative genomic approaches. Specifically, they are currently using comparative genomics to identify genes that are unique to Toxoplasma compared to its avirulent relatives, and then testing them in both cell culture and in vivo models for their role in parasite growth and virulence. This work is facilitated by the fact that Toxoplasma is very amenable to genetic manipulation and the genomes for multiple strains of the parasite have been fully sequenced. The Boyle Lab is embarking on our own sequencing projects of novel Toxoplasma strains and closely-related species to facilitate these comparative analyses. Students working in the lab are exposed to a wide variety of techniques, including cell culture, microarray and RNAseq analyses, next generation whole-genome sequencing, genetic manipulation of parasites and host cells, and in vivo bioluminescence imaging.
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