Research
The Evolutionary Maintenance of Disease Susceptibility
Given the near universality of immunological defense mechanisms and the clear benefit of resisting attack by pathogens, the maintenance of disease susceptibility in populations is perhaps surprising. The research goals of my lab involve understanding how the evolution of host immunocompetence and the evolution of pathogen virulence interact to promote and maintain disease susceptibility.
Current Projects
The evolutionary ecology of the maintenance of disease susceptibility
The Evolution of cooperative virulence mechanisms
Natural bacterial pathogens of Drosophila
Within-host infection dynamics: Hyperparasitism, pathogen evolution and 'phage therapy'
Publications
Wilson, H., Wang, I.N., Cady, N., and McKean, K.A. (in prep). "The enemy of my enemy is my friend: Reduced virulence as a correlated response to selection for resistance to bacteriophage."
McKean, K.A. (in prep). Among-host genetic variation in resistance to the type III secretion system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
McKean, K.A., Yourth, C., Lazzaro, B. and Clark, A.G. (in prep). "Sexual conflict of gene expression affects an immunological trade-off."
McKean, K.A. (submitted, Nature Education). "The early thinkers: pre-Darwinian views of evolutionary change."
McKean, K.A. (submitted, Nature Education). "The Darwinian revolution."
Cady, N.C., McKean, K.A., Behnke, J., Kubec, R., and Musah, R.A. (submitted). "Inhibition of biofilm formation and quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by natural products-inspired organosulfer compounds.
Caraco, T., McKean, K.A., Wilson, H., Dottino, C., and Eladdadi, A. (manuscript). Within-host infection dynamics: immune clearance, hyperparasitism, and implications for disease transmission. http://www.albany.edu/faculty/caraco/EvolEcol/PT1.pdf
McKean, K.A., and Lazzaro, B. (2011). "The reproduction-immunity trade-off: Insights from evolutionary and molecular genetics." In: "Mechanisms of Life History Evolution" T. Flatt and A. Heyland eds. Oxford University Press. pdf
McKean, K.A., Yourth, C., Lazzaro, B. and Clark, A.G. (2008). "The evolutionary costs of immunological maintenance and deployment in Drosophila melanogaster." BMC Evolutionary Biology 8:76. pdf
McKean, K.A., and Nunney, L. (2008). "Sexual selection and immune function in Drosophila melanogaster." Evolution 62(2):386-400. pdf
McKean, K.A., and Nunney, L. (2005). "Bateman’s principle and immunity: Phenotypically plastic reproductive strategies predict immunological sex differences in Drosophila melanogaster." Evolution 59(7):1510-1517. pdf
Schlenke, T. and McKean, K.A. (2005). "A role of Adh in the Drosophila immune response?" Journal of Insect Molecular Biology 14(2):175-178. pdf
McKean, K.A. and Nunney, L. (2001). "Increased sexual activity reduces male immune function in Drosophila melanogaster." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 14:7904-7909. pdf
Zuk, M., and McKean, K.A. (2000). "Signals, parasites and the immune system." pages 407-419 in: Animal Signals: Signaling and Signal Design in Animal Communication, Y. Espmark, T. Amundsen, and G. Rosenqvist, eds. Tapir Academic Press, Trondheim Norway.
McKean, K.A., Nunney, L., and Zuk, M. (1996). "Immunology taught by Darwin." Science 272(5262):634-635.
McKean, K.A. and Zuk, M. (1995). "An evolutionary perspective on signaling in behavior and immunology." Naturwissenshaften 82(11):509-516.
Zuk, M. and McKean, K.A. (1996). "Sex differences in parasite infections: Patterns and processes." International Journal for Parasitology 26(10):1009-1023.
Zuk, M., Johnsen, T.S., Kolluru, G.R., McKean, K.A., and Schulke, B. (1994). "Survival, reproduction and behavior." Ecology 75(6):1854-1855.
