David Kennedy

David Kennedy is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University, affiliated with the Department of Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. His research focuses on viral evolution, pathogen dynamics, and the ecological and evolutionary impacts of vaccination strategies in animal and human populations. He employs experimental, computational, and epidemiological approaches to understand how pathogens evolve resistance, adapt to hosts, and influence disease spread.

Key research areas include antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections, transmissible vaccines for animal pathogens, and the role of host heterogeneity in epidemic dynamics. His work often integrates genomic data with mathematical models to predict evolutionary outcomes. Kennedy collaborates with institutions like the Huck Institutes to address challenges in infectious disease management and agricultural pathogen control.

His recent studies explore spillover events, virulence evolution, and the limitations of R0 in modeling pandemic dynamics. Despite no listed awards or students, his contributions to understanding Marek’s disease virus and vaccine resistance mechanisms have been impactful in agricultural and public health contexts. His lab is located in the Millennium Science Complex, University Park, PA.