Title: Ancient transitions in animal evolution and the shaping of our immune system
Abstract: The immune system is fascinatingly complex, being based on intricately interwoven and regulated networks of proteins, cells and tissues that defend us from pathogens. Despite, active and longstanding efforts to understand its evolution there are major gaps remaining in our knowledge of immune evolution. I will discuss my work using comparative genomics and phylogenetics to illuminate the evolutionary origins of the vertebrate and animal immune systems.