MARCH 5, 2021 — Eric Shattuck, assistant professor of research at the UTSA Institute for Health Disparities Research, is studying the phenomenon of social distancing in response to infectious disease and its effects on pathogen transmission and the health of individuals and communities.
Many animals, including humans, exhibit behavioral changes during the early stages of an infection, including reduced social contacts, called sickness behavior. His findings suggest innate social distancing might help prevent the infection from spreading within social groups.
“The similarities between public health directives and what we see operating on a biological level in nature is remarkable,” Shattuck said.
“For instance, we’ve been advised to keep six feet apart from others to prevent COVID transmission in case they’re asymptomatic carriers of the virus. We know that some ants have a similar strategy, where individual ants increase their physical distance to others after they recognize that there is a possible infection in the colony," Shattuck added. "This shows us that some of the most basic interventions, like social distancing, can be highly effective at preventing outbreaks, whether of COVID-19, flu, or other pathogens.”
This research has been at the center of a study titled “Infectious Diseases and Social Distancing in Nature,” the manuscript for which has been published in the journal Science. Shattuck collaborated with researchers from universities and research centers across the country and in the United Kingdom.
While the other authors have research interests in vampire bats, rodents, insects and more, Shattuck is the only author who studies humans.
“Because humans are highly social creatures with complex and varied cultures — and because culture can affect both our biology and the way that we interpret physical and emotional sensations — I use an anthropological framework that focuses on human biological and cultural variation,” Shattuck said about his research on sickness behavior.
He added that this study can start important conversations across scientific fields about integrating these normal biological responses into our thinking about disease transmission and public health. “People should listen to their bodies if they think they might be sick but we also need to work to ensure that rest, recuperation and isolation aren’t stigmatized or otherwise prevented,” Shattuck said.
In his role with the Institute for Health Disparities Research, Shattuck explores various research projects to further the mission of the Institute, which is to reduce and eliminate health disparities in South Texas through the integration of biomedical and socio-behavioral science approaches.
Another project he’s working on is an investigation of the beneficial effects of hospital arts programs on mood, pain and nausea in adult cancer patients. Along with members of the UTSA music faculty, Tracy Cowden and John Nix, Shattuck is working with the San Antonio nonprofit Hearts Need Art to collect data.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
This online event, hosted by UTSA Veteran and Military Affairs and UTSA military liaison Lisa Carrington Firmin, will consist of an expert panel discussing and answering questions regarding sexual trauma in the military.
Virtual EventGreat discussions continue this spring with Mary McNaughton-Cassill, Professor of Psychology and Donna Edmondson, University Ombuds. They are providing five 30-minute interactive webinars. Topics include bridge building, stigmas, team building, staying engaged at work and our shared experiences.
Virtual EventLed by UTSA Campus Recreation, these in-person group exercise sessions provide survivors a safe space to focus on their bodies' power to foster a sense of agency. Bring your mask and yoga mat and experience a soothing sound bath at sunrise. Students must register online before attending these sessions.
Recreation and Wellness Center, Main CampusCommunication between parents and youth can be difficult and the stress of COVID-19 and virtual learning may have made things worse. This is an opportunity for parents and youth, ages 9-17, to learn and share how to enchance communication.
Virtual EventThe virtial event will feature undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from across the university. Students who have participated in research experiences beginning summer 2020 through Spring 2021 are invited to participate.
Virtual EventAt UTSA, there are many ways to connect with others, gain relevant career experience, and leave your mark at a world-ranked university. With over 300 student organizations, there’s something for everyone at UTSA. Hear from various UTSA Students Leaders about their life as a Roadrunner and why UTSA is their new home.
Virtual EventThis course is offered by UTSA's Employee Assistance Program EAP Deer Oaks. Every new beginning comes from something else ending, and in our ever changing world, it is essential to develop the ability topositively cope with change. This session provides participants with the insight to understand the nature of change and learn how to effectively deal with both the losses and the gains that change brings to one’s life.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.