The Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology, led by Professor Jaroslav Flegr, conducts research in evolutionary biology, parasitology, and psychology. One of its key focus areas is the study of the parasitic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii through comparative studies, with an emphasis on the transmission and effects of latent toxoplasmosis on human physical and mental health, personality, and cognitive abilities. The lab’s findings place it among the world’s leading institutions in researching the manipulation hypothesis in the parasite–human model.
In addition to toxoplasmosis, the lab investigates the effects of other significant pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, and potential persistent parasitic manipulators like Bartonella, Borrelia, and cytomegalovirus. At the intersection of evolutionary parasitology and psychology, the lab also explores topics such as evolutionary aesthetics, phobias, mystical and political thinking, the behavioral immune system, disgust, theories on the origins of homosexuality, alternative reproductive strategies, and human life strategies.
A specific emphasis is placed on peptide lexicons and their role in the coevolution of parasites and hosts, an area bridging evolutionary biology and parasitology. Another important research direction in the Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology is the modeling of evolutionary processes and the theoretical aspects of evolution. In this regard, the lab focuses primarily on the theories of frozen plasticity and frozen evolution, concepts based on sorting processes in terms of stability, which have significant implications for understanding macroevolutionary and microevolutionary phenomena. These concepts offer new perspectives not only in biology but also have implications for the study of cultural evolution and the philosophy of biology.