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.

You might also be interested in our publications - read them on the publications page - or some of the data we have generated.

Current and former group members

In reverse order of appearance...

• Lydia Jennings, Dphil student and Research Assistant.

• Thomas Roberts, Dphil student.

• Qijing Shen, former Dphil student, joint with Azim Ansari Now a postdoc at University of Oxford..

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

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

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

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.