The research activities of the Stanhope laboratory are primarily concerned with the application of molecular evolutionary biology principles and techniques to issues of comparative genomics, and population genomics within various groups of bacterial and viral pathogens. We are interested in the molecular evolutionary history, and specifics, of how pathogens are adapted to different hosts, and in identifying genes associated with various disease phenotypes in both animals and humans. This work involves NGS comparative genomic and transcriptomic data acquired from a number of different groups of pathogens ranging from bacteria, to coronaviruses, to protozoans. Additional interests of the laboratory include the pan-genome dynamics of bacterial speciation and the application of an evolutionary biology approach to understanding the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. Recently we have taken a foray into eukaryotic genomics and are studying comparative genomics of sharks, exploring such traits as their wound healing abilities, cancer protection, and electroreception.