Basingstoke Science Cafe subscribers are invited to enjoy this in-person and livestream science talk from the Royal Society in London. Meet world-leading researchers from universities and science institutions across the UK at the Royal Society’s public events of cutting-edge science. Tonight's lecture is **"Francis Crick Prize Lecture: Pathogens and the power of evolution".** The Francis Crick Medal and Lecture 2026 is awarded to **Professor Kayla King** for contributions to the fields of evolutionary biology and genetics of infectious disease. **This livestream event is free to join and requires prior registration with the Royal Society at the web address below.** **[https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2026/10/francis-crick-prize-lecture/](https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2026/10/francis-crick-prize-lecture/)** **SUMMARY** Why are some infections more harmful than others? Pathogens can have huge potential to evolve higher (or lower) virulence over short periods of time. In this lecture, Professor Kayla King will explore the rapid evolution of pathogens across the tree of life. Drawing on evolutionary theory, genome sequencing, and selection experiments in which bacterial and viral pathogens are passaged in the lab, she will reveal what drives these evolutionary changes in virulence, as well as the consequences for pathogen genomes and host health. Professor King will present examples of pathogens evolving within weeks in response to host immunity and warming temperatures. The lecture will ultimately discuss the implications of her group’s research for predicting pathogen virulence and patterns of genomic evolution in a changing world. Amidst an increased risk of zoonoses jumping to protected species and humans, a better understanding of pathogen virulence evolution has never been more important. **SPEAKER** **Professor Kayla King** is an evolutionary biologist whose work focuses on the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of ani

Description supplied by the event organiser.