Department of Entomology

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Michel Slotman

TITLE: Assistant Professor

EDUCATION:

  • Post-Doctoral Associate,  Dept. of Ecol. and Evol. Biol., Yale University 2005-2007
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Entomology, University of California at Davis 2003-2005
  • Ph.D., Ecol. & Evol. Biology, Yale University, New Haven 2003
  • M.Ph., Biology, Yale University, New Haven  2000
  • M.S.,   Biology Yale University, New Haven   1999
  • M.S.,   Biology, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands  1997
  • B.Sc.,  Biology Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands  1997

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Broadly speaking, my research concerns the evolutionary and population genetics of medically important insects, with a strong focus on Anopheles mosquitoes. Within this broader topic, a primary interest of mine has been the process of speciation in the Anopheles gambiae complex, a group of morphologically largely identical species which contains the two major malaria vectors of sub-Saharan Africa; Anopheles gambiae and An. arabiensis. Some of my work has focused on the accumulation of isolation or speciation genes between Anopheles gambiae s.s and An. arabiensis, and the effect that such genes have on the ability of these occasionally hybridizing species to exchange genetic material. Other work of mine has concerned the differentiation between and within the so-called molecular forms of An. gambiae s.s., with a particular emphasis on the role of reduced recombination and inversions in facilitating isolation between populations and forms. I have also worked on the evolution of anti-malarial immunity genes in mosquitoes.

Currently, I am undertaking several research projects in Equatorial Guinea in collaboration with Adalgisa Caccone, Michael Reddy and Jeffrey Powell from Yale University. These projects deal with the effects of a nation-wide control program, administered by Medical Care Development International (MCDI) and Marathon Oil company, on the population structure and biology of malaria vectors. In particular, I am interested in the effect of large-scale control on the effective size of mosquito populations, and the migration and population structure of An. melas, a malaria vector with a patchy distribution. I am also developing a research project exploring the genetic basis of the strong preference of An. gambiae for human blood meals.

PUBLICATIONS:

     Abila P.P.*, M.A. Slotman*, A. Parmakelis*, K.B. Dion*, A.S. Robinson, V.B. Muwanika, J.C.K. Enyaru, L.M. Lokedi, S. Aksoy, and A. Caccone (2008).  High levels of genetic differentiation between Ugandan Glossina fuscipes fuscipes populations separated by Lake Kyoga. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases  2(5): e242.  Article
(*  Equal contribution)

     Parmakelis A., M.A. Slotman, J.C. Marshall, P.H. Awono-Ambene, C. Antonio-Nkondjio, F. Simard, A. Caccone, and J. R. Powell (2008) the molecular evolutiuon of four anti-malarial immune genes in the Anopheles gambiae species complex. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8: 79 Abstract

     Slotman M.A., A. Parmakelis, J.C. Marshall, P.H. Awono-Ambene, C. Antonio-Nkondjo, F. Simard, A. Caccone and J.R. Powell (2007) Patterns of  selection in anti-malarial immune genes in malaria vectors: evidence for  adaptive evolution in LRIM1 in Anopheles arabiensis. PLoS One 2(8) e793. Abstract

     Tripet F., J. A. Wright, A. Cornel, A. Fofana, R. MacAbee, C.R. Meneses, L.J. Reimer, M.A. Slotman, T. C. Thiemann, G. Dolo, S. Traoré and G.C. Lanzaro (2007)  Longitudinal survey of knockdown resistance to pyrethroid (kdr) in Mali, West Africa, and evidence of its emergence in the Bamako form of Anopheles gambiae s.s. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 76: 81-87. Abstract

     Slotman M.A. , F. Tripet, A.J. Cornel, C.R. Meneses, Y. Lee, L.J. Reimer, T. C. Thiemannan, E. Fondjo, A. Fofana, S.F. Traoré and G.C. Lanzaro (2007) Evidence for subdivision within the M molecular form of Anopheles gambiae s.s. Molecular Ecology 16: 639-649. Abstract

     Slotman M.A., N. B. Kelly, L. C. Harrington, S. Kittahwee, J.W. Jones, T.W. Scott, A. Caccone and J.R. Powell (2007) Polymorphic microsatellite markers for studies of Aedes aegypti, the vector of dengue and yellow fever. Molecular Ecology Notes 7: 168-171. Abstract

    Slotman M.A., L. Reimer, T. Thiemann, G. Dolo, E. Fondjo, and G.C. Lanzaro (2006) Reduced recombination rate and genetic differentiation between the M and S forms of Anopheles gambiae.  Genetics 174: 2081-2093. Abstract

    Dijkstra E., M. A. Slotman and R. J. Post  (2006) Resolution of phylogenetic relationships of the major subfamilies of the Delphacidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) using the mitochondrial ribosomal DNA. Insect Science 13-167-177. Abstract

    Slotman M. A., M.M. Mendez, A. della Torre, G. Dolo, Y. Touré and A. Caccone (2006). Genetic differentiation between the Bamako and Savanna chromosomal forms of Anopheles gambiae as indicated by AFLP analysis. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.74: 641-648. Abstract

   Reimer L., F. Tripet, M. Slotman, A. Spielman and G.C. Lanzaro (2005). An unusual distribution of the kdr gene among populations of Anopheles gambiae on the Island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea. Insect Molecular Biology 14: 683-688. Abstract

  Slotman M. A., A. della Torre, M. Calzetta and J.R. Powell (2005). Differential introgression of chromosomal regions between Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles arabiensis. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 73: 326-335. Abstract

   Elnaiem, D. A., C. Meneses, M. Slotman and G.C. Lanzaro. (2005) Genetic variation of the sand fly salivary protein, Sp-15, a potential vaccine candidate against Leishmania major. Insect Molecular Biology 14: 145-150.
Abstract

   Slotman M., A. della Torre and J.R. Powell (2005) Female sterility in hybrids between Anopheles gambiae and An. arabiensis and the causes of Haldane’s rule. Evolution 59: 1016-1026. Abstract

  Slotman M., A. della Torre and J.R. Powell (2004) The genetics of inviability and male sterility in hybrids between Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles arabiensis. Genetics 167: 275-287. Abstract
   
   Gentile G., M. Slotman, V. Ketmaier, J.R. Powell and A. Caccone (2001). Attempts to molecularly distinguish cryptic taxa in Anopheles gambiae s.s., Insect Molecular Biology 10(1): 25-32. Abstract