Beyond nature versus nurture, we are intrigued with how pathogens affect social behavior. The western honey bee is a fascinating social insect to study this topic.

Currently our lab studies the transmission dynamics of deformed wing virus-honey bee- Varroa system. This complex pathogen-host-vector system is nearly unique because the pathogen can move around amongst individuals in many different ways. We study the transmission of the virus, and then ask how does that transmission affect social behavior in a complex society.

Our lab also returns valuable applied work to stakeholders in the beekeeping industry. We identify key points at which Varroa mites are killing honey bee colonies so that beekeepers can adjust their best management practices.

We also just dabble on projects that are important in the advancement of honey bee research. For example, our lab successfully developed a method to rear both queens and worker bees in the laboratory. A huge step forward to study pathogens, pesticides and transgenic genes in honey bees.