GELIFES Seminars - Simon Verhulst
| When: | Th 16-09-2021 13:00 - 14:00 |
| Where: | Online |
Simon Verhulst (GELIFES-BPE)
Growing up & Growing old
On meso-populations, telomeres and why old people are more vulnerable to Covid-19
What makes some individuals better than others at survival and reproduction? Can this be understood from their phenotypic state or ‘health’? We study the association between state and Darwinian fitness in meso-populations (in captivity) and in natural populations, with special reference to ageing and long-term effects of (manipulated) developmental conditions. A key question is how to measure ‘state’ and a major research line is focused on telomere length in birds and humans, and I will present data suggesting a role for telomeres in explaining the vulnerability of the elderly to Covid-19.
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