Ignoring the legacy of how humans and their diseases have co-evolved could reduce our ability to effectively treat those illnesses, according to a visiting scientist who will lecture here today.

John Heath is a retired cardiologist, internist and respirologist who also runs Yellow Island Aquaculture Ltd., the salmon farm which recently won the NSERC Synergy award along with University of Windsor scientists Trevor Pitcher, Dennis Higgs and Daniel Heath.

Dr. Heath will give an overview of how evolutionary thinking has impacted clinical medical practice lecture in a lecture called “Evolutionary Medicine: A Clinical Approach.” His goal is to show that the co-evolution between humans and their diseases and parasites has resulted in particular patterns of patient and pathogen response to therapy, and that ignoring those evolutionary legacies reduces our ability to effectively treat diseases in humans.

He will speak on Wednesday, February 26, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Ambassador Auditorium, CAW Student Centre. All are welcome.