David V. McLeod

This study uses a mechanistic immunological model to show how immunodeficiencies shape viral evolution during primary infections, with varying effects on mutation frequency and speed depending on the type of infection and immune deficiency.

This study reconciles two perspectives on microbial adaptation by showing how interactions between mobile genetic elements influence evolutionary dynamics and adaptation speed.

The paper unifies existing models of multistrain pathogen evolution by identifying three key factors: immune protection strength, immunological dynamics, and antigen locus number.