Stephen J. Price

Curriculum Vitae:

• 2009-date: NERC Open CASE PhD at IoZ and QMUL.
• 2009: Research technician; Nematode biology, Bristol. Investigating plasticity in Caenorhabditis elegans life cycle: responding to environmental stress.
• 2006: Project student, Immunology of parasitic infections, Nottingham.
• 2004-2007: BSc (Hons) Zoology, University of Nottingham.
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Research Interests:

My interests centre on wildlife disease and host-parasite evolution. I am currently investigating the spread of a viral pathogen of amphibians. The pathogen (commonly known as ranavirus) has been responsible for thousands of common frog mortalities in Britain each summer, since the early 1990s, following likely introduction from North America.

Ranaviruses are globally widespread pathogens of fish, amphibians and reptiles - a versatility in host use that may explain their rapid colonisation of Britain. The potential to jump from fish to amphibian hosts is already evident^(1),(2); whilst ranaviruses have been isolated from host species that are moved through amphibian trade (for example see 3), and are known to infect multiple species of amphibian here in Britain⁽⁴⁾.

I will use phylogeography to reconstruct the spread of disease in Britain, increase understanding of the source of ranavirus introduction, and clarify current UK ranavirus taxonomy. I also hope to model the spread in order to generate hypotheses relating to likely modes of transmission.

I have previously examined spatial variation in parasite communities of a host (Clethrionomys glareolus, bank vole) occupying a fragmented habitat and found marked differences on a local scale in contrast to striking temporal stability.

References:

1. J. Jancovich et al., Molecular Ecology 213 (JAN 2005).
2. J. Mao, D. Green, G. Fellers, V. Chinchar, Virus Research 45 (SEP 1999).
3. M. Gray, D. Miller, A. Schmutzer, C. Baldwin, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 97 (SEP 14 2007).
4. A. Cunningham et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Series B-Biological Sciences 1539 (NOV 29 1996).
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Theses:

Variation in helminth community structure in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from three comparable woodland sites in the Mazury Lake District of Poland. BSc (Hons) Final year project thesis, University of Nottingham.

Brood Parasites: a study of host-parasite evolution. BSc (Hons) Dissertation, University of Nottingham.
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Supervisors:

Prof. Richard Nichols ; Queen Mary, University of London
Dr. Trent Garner ; ZSL
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Funding:

NERC Open CASE Studentship
DEFRA subsidised SynTax Grant
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Links:

Froglife
QMUL