My research focuses on haemosporidian parasites (order Haemosporida) in bats.
Bats play an important role in the evolutionary history of malaria (haemosporidian) parasites. They feature the highest diversity of haemosporidian parasites among mammals and harbor several parasites that are closely related to mammalian Plasmodium species.
Studying these parasites will contribute to answer important questions, e.g. whether the invasion of mammals occurred more than once in the evolution of haemosporidian parasites or why the human-infecting species Plasmodium falciparum is more virulent than other Plasmodium species.
My projects include the investigation of the diversity, prevalence and evolutionary relationships of haemosporidian parasites of African, Asian and Australian bats.
Juliane Schaer 