A new study led by PhD candidate Stephanie Penk reveals the most likely pathway of transmission of Trichinella nativa, a parasite found at high prevalence in polar bears. The article, published in Oikos, used mathematical models informed with data from existing literature to compare different plausible mechanisms of transmission. It shows that infection acquired from seals, the normal prey of polar bears, is sufficient to explain high parasite prevalence in polar bear populations, despite low prevalence found in seals. The study was a collaboration involving all lab members. You can read the full article here.