Abstract

Parasites have co-evolved with their hosts through millions of years are arguably provide some of the finest examples of adaptability to a ever changing environment. One particular flatworm parasite called Schistosoma mansoni, is responsible for infecting ~ 200 million people worldwide. Using the latest genomic and informatics technologies, such as those used for the sequencing of the human genome, we can now start to investigate what makes these parasites so adaptable and remarkably successful in surviving hostile conditions inside their hosts even for decades!

Bio: Dr. Anna V. Protasio graduated with a BSc. in Biochemistry from the University of the Republic, in Uruguay. She then moved to Cambridge to pursue a PhD in Molecular Biology at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge. During this time, Anna developed a great appreciation for parasitology and became a pioneer in the use of massive parallel sequencing applied to the understanding of gene expression in these parasites. She remained at the Sanger Institute with a Postdoctoral Fellowship for further 4 years. in 2016, she became a NCBS -InStem-Cambridge Fellow and an “awaiting” Research Affiliate at Darwin College (to join in Oct 2017)