University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Johannes Foufopoulos

Johannes Foufopoulos

  • Assistant Professor
  • Ph.D., Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Foufopoulos Lab

Contact information

  • University of Michigan
    G568 Dana Building
    440 Church St
    Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1041
  • Phone: (734) 763-9460
  • Email: jfoufop@umich.edu

Teaching

Teaching interests:
Conservation biology, disease ecology

EEB/ENVIRON 315 - Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (with M. Pascual): The course provides an introduction to the ecological and evolutionary processes observed in parasites and other disease-causing organisms. You will be introduced to the wonderfully bizarre world of malaria, measles, fleas, tapeworms, HIV and anthrax. Topics examined include the evolution of various life histories in human and wildlife parasites, spatial patterns of disease, host-parasite co-evolution and the role of disease throughout human history. Quantitative models for the temporal patterns of infectious diseases are also presented. The course also focuses on the various manners in which pathogens overcome or evade the host’s immune system, and how they manipulate host behavior to facilitate transmission. In the last part of the course, we examine the environmental factors leading to the emergence of new pathogens such as Lyme disease, Ebola and West Nile encephalitis, as well as the importance of pathogens for wildlife conservation.

ENVIRON 317 - Conservation Biology: Overview of historic and present-day causes of species extinction, and of biological principles central to species conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems. Topics covered include: episodes of extinction and diversification over earth history; geographic distribution strategies and sustainable use of ecosystems. Weekly recitation sections discuss material from lectures, assigned readings and films, and perform computer and gaming simulations.

ENVIRON 139 - Emerging Diseases (First year seminar)

NRE 517 - Readings in Conservation Biology (with D. Allan)

NRE 639 - Readings in Ecology and Evolution: (Seminar offered periodically - inquire with Dr. Foufopoulos regarding future schedule)

HLS/EEB 398 - Humans and Environment: Ecology, history, and conservation of the Mediterranean (formerly taught at Princeton): Ecosystems of the Mediterranean are unusual not only because of the intense, long-term association of humans with the natural environment but also because of the outstanding historical record documenting this interaction. The course examines how humans have altered mediterranean ecosystems over the millennia, but also how the mediterranean environment has shaped human culture. Furthermore the course examines the function and the unique characteristics of mediterranean ecosystems and the spatial and temporal patterns of biological diversity. In the last part, we will look at current and emerging conservation problems in the Mediterranean, as well as various ways of addressing these problems.

See Foufopoulos' course page