MPS: George Wendt - An evolutionary approach to studying the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni

Abstract: Parasitic flatworms are a very diverse group of animals that are thought to parasitize nearly all vertebrates. In addition to their wide host range, they also occupy a wide variety of niches within these hosts. Schistosomes, the most medically important parasitic flatworms, reside inside of their host’s bloodstream, evading clearance at the hand of the host’s immune system for several years or even decades. Understanding how schistosomes are capable of this remarkable endurance can be aided by exploring the evolutionary relationships between schistosomes and other flatworms. Here, I will discuss how studies of free-living flatworm stem cells led to studies of the parasite’s unique skin, a tissue known as the tegument. I will explain how studies of the tegument in turn led to the discovery of some fascinating convergent evolution in a DNA damage response pathway and even led to the identification of probable horizontal gene transfer between the ancestral parasitic flatworm and its original host.

CV: George Wendt began his study of stem cells as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, where he examined the role that transcription factors such as the estrogen receptor play in regulating hematopoietic stem cells. He then moved to Japan for two years, where he studied the epigenetic regulation of hematopoietic stem cells. In 2013, George matriculated into the Medical Scientist Training Program at UTSW, where he is currently pursuing training as a physician scientist. Upon completing his pre-clinical coursework in 2015, he began working in the Collins lab. He is interested in the role that schistosome somatic stem cells play in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis.