People

Asher

Hi! I’m Asher. I study social evolution in viruses. I’ve been an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia since March 2025. Before that I did a postdoc with Paul Turner at Yale, and a DPhil with Stuart West at Oxford. My group uses theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches to study all aspects of viral social evolution. I consider myself extremely fortunate to work with the delightful and talented individuals on this page.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Hi, I’m Rowan and I study the causes and consequences of mutations in microbes. Some mutations are more likely than others (mutational bias) and I’m interested in how these biases can drive evolution and how they themselves evolve. I’m currently working with Asher Leeks on various bioinformatics projects related to the evolution of ‘Viral Cheats’. This largely involves accessing public datasets of viral deep sequencing and using them to reconstruct within host viral populations, my main model systems are human and avian influenza. Prior to this bioinformatics postdoc I have been really lucky to dabble in a wide variety of systems and approaches with my PhD mainly consisting of wet lab microbiology and mathematical modelling, a research assistantship focussed on ecosystem surveying in reforested areas and an honours project surveying pollinators of non-native plants. I am passionate about prioritising reproducible science, mentoring and outreach in my scientific practice.

Graduate Students

Hello! I’m Liya. I’m a PhD student in the Leeks Lab, currently working on two projects to understand how social interactions impact virus evolution and ecology. First, I’m using experimental evolution of a model virus, phage M13, to understand how cooperators coevolve with cheats and how cheating results in different ecological outcomes. Second, I’m exploring how social evolution theory, in particular Hamilton’s Rule, can help us understand why superinfection exclusion evolves. My primary advisor is Dr. Asher Leeks, and I am co-advised by Dr. Kayla King. My favorite viruses include the T-even phages, M13, mimiviruses, and Citrus Tristeza Virus. My least favorite virus is Vaccinia Virus.