Dr Alex Hayward

About me:

I am fascinated by biodiversity and the forces that structure it. A large proportion of species are parasitic, and a strong focus of my research is on host-parasite interactions. Key topics concern antagonistic coevolution, the factors that influence host specificity, and the assembly of ecological communities. For this, I examine a wide range of systems from across taxonomic diversity, including arthropods, helminth worms, viruses, and transposable elements. Please click the ‘Research’ link in the menu above for further details.

Lab webpage: https://www.jumppinggenes.org

Evolutionary significance of transposable elements

Since the onset of the genomics era, it has become apparent that transposons comprise large proportions of many eukaryote genomes, and have made great contributions to host genomic complexity. By harnessing the untapped potential of massive genomic datasets, we can now address fundamental unanswered questions relating to the significance of transposons, including: their impact on host evolution via contribution of coding and regulatory sequences, their influence on major evolutionary processes such as speciation, and the evolutionary dynamics that underpin transposon proliferation.

Host-retrovirus coevolution

Retroviruses have left a rich ‘genomic fossil record’ in vertebrate genomes in the form of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). This represents a rare opportunity to explore host-pathogen interactions over evolutionary timescales. Key questions include examining the evolution of host generalism verses host specialism, identifying key determinants of infectivity, and resolving the early evolution of retroviruses.

Determinants of parasite load

The abundance and diversity of parasites that infect hosts often varies considerably, even among closely related host species. A major unanswered question concerns the role that host traits play in determining parasite load.

Evolution and structure of ecological communities

Ecological communities are complex entities that vary across time and space. The extent to which communities move and persist as single units, verses assembly via recruitment of members from disparate origins, represents an open question. Furthermore, the role played by lower trophic levels in structuring higher trophic levels remains unclear.

Invertebrate developmental genomics

Over 60% of described animal species undergo metamorphosis, many of which are invertebrate taxa. Yet, much remains to be understood regarding both the significance of metamorphosis and its molecular bases. Genomic methods present a powerful means of examining the evolution of invertebrate development more generally.

2007 PhD University of Edinburgh
2001 MSc Imperial College,
2000 BSc University of Birmingham