The role of mothers in the evolution of immunity

Pathogenic diseases represent a major threat to our general well-being and chances of reaching
reproductive age. The quality of the environment that a mother provides to her progeny often plays a
fundamental role in deciding the survival prospects of her offspring when faced with an immune challenge.
We currently know much about the functional and mechanistic properties of immune systems, but very little
about the role that mothers play in shaping the evolution of these systems. I will take a novel and interdisciplinary
approach to redress this shortfall in knowledge.