Daniel R. Brooks
Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Toronto
Daniel Brooks is focused on the emerging infectious disease crisis that represents an existential threat to technological humanity. The Stockholm Paradigm, of which he is a co-founder, integrates Ecological Fitting in Sloppy Fitness Space, the Oscillation Hypothesis of host range changes, the Geographic Mosaic Theory of Coevolution, and the Taxon Pulse Hypothesis to explain the current crisis of emerging diseases as a recurring phenomenon in the history of life. We live in a world in which increasing urban population density, along with globalization of travel and trade act synergistically with climate change to produce an explosive emerging disease crisis that represents an existential threat to technological humanity. The DAMA (Document, Assess, Monitor, Act) Protocol in a public policy initiative stemming from the Stockholm Paradigm. It takes advantage of evolutionary specificity and conservatism in pathogen transmission dynamics to provide proactive measures for anticipating disease threats before they emerge and mitigating their socio-economic impact. He contributes to initiatives focused on grass roots action to produce effective action plans for coping many threat multipliers associated with climate change.