Band group website

Welcome! This is the web page of the research group led by Gavin Band at the Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford (CHG). I am a statistical geneticist interested in host and pathogen genomics, in particular in the interplay between human and parasite genetics in malaria infection outcomes. We are taking a range of experimental and computational approaches, and working with collaborators to try to understand these interactions and to discover new ones.

We maintain several software packages for genetic analysis, including HPTEST and the widely-used BGEN format. You can also find links to relevant data resources on the data resource page.

Over the years my group has also developed a number of interactive visualisations and tools - see some of them on the interaction page.

Latest news

• (2025-09-21) Geographical variation drives adaptive equilibrium of the P. falciparum sickle-associated mutations

• (2021-12-25) Which P.falciparum assembly isolates carry Pfsa+ alleles?

• (2021-12-09) Our paper on association between sickle haemoglobin and three regions of the malaria parasite genome has been published

• (2021-09-21) Watch my 10-minute talk 'The protective effect of sickle haemoglobin against severe malaria depends on parasite genotype'

• (2021-08-03) Our paper on de novo assembly of immune system regions has been published

See more at the blog page.

Current and former group members

• Jia-Yuan Zhang, former DPhil student Now at BGI in Hangzhou..

• Annie Forster, former Dphil student and postdoc Now at Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute.

• Qijing Shen, Dphil student, joint with Azim Ansari.

• Zhipeng Zhang, Dphil student, joint with Azim Ansari.

• Lydia Jennings, Dphil student and Research Assistant.

• Thomas Roberts, Dphil student.

Things to do

See some things to interact with, publications we've contributed to, get some useful software, or get some data.