Scott
Lawton
I did my first degree in Zoology at the University of Aberdeen (1999-2003) where I became interested in evolutionary biology and parasitology and infectious diseases. After taking a year out I then undertook an MSc in Parasitology and Entomology at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (2004 - 2005) where I became increasingly interested in the use of molecular genetics in the identification and monitoring of disease vectors and vector borne diseases and later went on to be involved in a project to produce the first phylogenetic framework for Tsetse flies (Glossina sp.) the vectors of African Sleeping Sickness. Following on from my time at Liverpool I then undertook a PhD at the Natural History Museum (2005 -2009) focused on the genomics and molecular evolution of Schistosoma blood flukes of medical and veterinary importance and then in 2009 joined Kingston University, London as a lecturer in Biological Sciences. I now lead a research team in Pathogen Molecular Evolution and Epidemiology focusd on the use of molecular, genomic and bioinformatic tools to measure antigenic variation and inform vaccine design as well as the detection of drug resistnace, and the phylogenetics of disease spread
My research focuses on the development and application of molecular and genomic tools to provide insights into the evolutionary processes acting on pathogens and how they interact with their hosts. I have a "one health" ethos to my research and the emphasis is primarily on zoonotic and neglected parasites affecting the health of wildlife, domestic animals and people in the tropics. The main goal is to disentangle the underlying evolutionary events acting on pathogen populations especially adaptive responses to host specific pressures especially the genetic basis of antigenic variation and host compatibility. Current research focuses on the development of in silico approaches to assess variability and ultimately efficacy of vaccine targets of Schistosoma blood flukes and Asiatic liver flukes. This coupled with population genetic analyses of antigen protein coding genes, particularly vaccine candidates, in order to assess the role of genetic variation in vaccine efficacy, immune memory and reinfection