David Daversa

Curriculum Vitae:

2011 – Present: Cambridge International Scholar, PhD student, University of Cambridge and IoZ; Disease Dynamics and Movement Ecology.

2010 – Research Associate; Vredenburg Lab; Dept of Biology; San Francisco State University; Ecology of amphibian diseases in the Sierra Nevada, CA.

2009 – 2010: US Fulbright Scholar in Spain; Movement Ecology of and Pathogen prevalence in Common Toads (Bufo bufo) of Central Spain.

2007 – 2008: Research Associate; Cherie Briggs Lab, Dept. of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley; Ecology of amphibian diseases in the Sierra Nevada, CA.

2006: Research Assistant; Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory; Mammalian Behaviour and Alpine Ecology (PI: Dr. Barbara Frase).

2002 – 2006: BSc (Summa cum laude and w/Honors), Forestry; Dept. of Forestry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).
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Research Interests:

My deep fascination with the patterns of movement and social behaviour of living organisms drives my academic pursuits. What are the spatial and seasonal trends of animal movements? What large-scale patterns in social interaction arise from such movements? These questions shape the general objectives of my work.

Multihost transmission dynamics of the chytrid fungus in amphibian social networks

Much work has been done to improve our understanding of how pathogens are transmitted. Yet whereas most pathogens infect multiple species, the complexity of multihost systems has thus far confined research to single-host interactions.

I am conducting the first-ever comprehensive empirical study defining pathogen transmission dynamics for multiple host species, using an amphibian metacommunity infected with the pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in Central Spain as a focal system.

Bd exhibits pronounced host generality and is primarily transmitted through host contact. Meanwhile, many amphibians susceptible to this pathogen inhabit discrete patchy networks of communities. These concurrent qualities of pathogen and host provide a model system for tracking transmission among multiple species and communities.

My results will provide a new model for estimating multihost pathogen transmission among host communities, which can be applied to epidemiological theory and wildlife conservation alike.
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Supervisors:

Andrea Manica , Evolutionary Ecology Group, Dept. of Zoology, University of Cambridge.
Trenton Garner , Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London.
Jaime Bosch , Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC.
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University of Cambridge webpage:

http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/zoostaff/manica/drdaversa.htm
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Publications :

Daversa, D.R., E. Muths and J. Bosch. Terrestrial movement patterns of the Common Toad (Bufo bufo) in Central Spain reveal habitat of conservation importance. Journal of Herpetology. (in press)

Kobro-Flatmoen, A, Langdon, G, Wright, C, Block, J, Gilarranz, LJ, Lever, JJ, Rohr, RP, Fortuna, MA, Kamfonik, D, Grahl, J, Young, M, Poddar, K, Barrows, N, Sagy, O, Daversa, DR, Iyer, R, Gupta, A. (2012) NextGenVoices -- Results. Science 335: 36–38.

Daversa, D.R, J. Bosch and K. Jeffrey. 2011. First survey of the disease-causing fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, in amphibian populations of Gabon, Africa. Herpetology Review 42(1): 67-69.