معرفی
Andrea Townsend is the Chair and Associate Professor of Biology at Hamilton College, also affiliated with Environmental Studies. Her research focuses on how land-use changes affect bird behavior, health, and populations, particularly regarding disease transmission (e.g., West Nile virus) and urbanization impacts. She uses satellite telemetry, field observations, and lab techniques in collaboration with students.
Education: Ph.D. in Ecology from Cornell University (advisor: unknown), B.A. in Biology from Bowdoin College. Postdoctoral research at Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Smithsonian Institution. Previously faculty at UC Davis before joining Hamilton in 2014.
Research interests include avian disease ecology, urban wildlife adaptation, and conservation genetics. Key projects involve tracking migratory pathways of crows, studying Campylobacter and vancomycin-resistant enterococci in birds, and investigating how climate change affects songbird breeding cycles.
Notable achievements: Secured NSF postdoctoral fellowship, USDA grants, and AAUW awards. Her work bridges ecology, immunology, and behavior, with high-impact publications in Global Change Biology and Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Lab Activities: The Townsend Lab at Hamilton College studies cognitive and behavioral responses to environmental changes, including disease, urbanization, and climate. Ongoing projects explore how animals adapt behaviorally to survive in altered habitats.
