Genetic Variation and Evolution Study Section – GVE

Topics

• Applications of evolutionary principles to: biomedicine, epidemiology, health, and disease; including host-pathogen interactions, genetics of virulence or resistance, co-evolutionary dynamics, and population structure
• Mechanisms of evolution: selection, adaptation, mutation, recombination, gene/genome duplication, transposition, chromosomal evolution, sexual selection, horizontal gene transfer, hybridization / introgression, and speciation
• Genotype- phenotype mapping: genetics of complex traits, QTL mapping, association mapping, evolution of proteins and biochemical pathways/networks, genotype-environment interactions, genetic variation driving epigenetic regulation, evolvability, and heritability; role of genetic variation in gene regulation
• Population genetics: theory, experimental approaches, and application to large genomic datasets; mathematical modeling of genetic/ epigenetic inheritance, genetic drift, gene flow, selection, and population structure
• Molecular evolution from genes to genomes: phylogenetics, structural genome variation, comparative genomics, bioinformatics, computational biology, modeling, and systems biology

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests in genetics of complex traits, genotype- phenotype mapping with Genetics of Health and Disease (GHD). Applications that focus more broadly on consequences of genetic variation are reviewed in GVE. Applications that use existing evolutionary concepts for the discovery of genetic variation underlying specific human diseases are reviewed in GHD.

There are shared interests with Genomics Computational Biology and Technology (GCAT) in studies of genomic variation in humans and model organisms. Applications emphasizing new genomic technology development and computational methods may be reviewed in GCAT.  Applications that use existing methods, or applications to develop new methods for evolutionary biology studies, may be reviewed in GVE.

There are shared interests with Bacterial-Host Interactions (BHI), Viral Pathogenesis and Immunity (VPI), and Pathogenic Eukaryotes (PTHE) in the area of host-pathogen interactions. Applications that focus on molecular mechanisms of such interactions may be reviewed in the appropriate pathogen-focused study section. Applications that focus on such interactions as a coevolution process, or emphasize genomic studies may be reviewed in GVE.

There are shared interests in etiology, maintenance and evolutionary outcomes of infectious diseases with Etiology, Diagnostic, Intervention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (EDIT).   Applications with genomic focus or to understand genetic variation among host or pathogen with the use of modeling are reviewed in GVE. Applications that emphasize the origin/etiological determination of infectious agents in human diseases are reviewed in EDIT.