Cynthia Downs

Cynthia Downs is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her research focuses on ecological immunology, physiological trade-offs, and the scaling of immune defenses with body size in terrestrial vertebrates. She teaches courses such as Animal Physiology: Environmental and Ecological and Principles of Animal Behavior.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno (2011)
  • B.S. in Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (2004)

Downs investigates how physiological traits mediate ecological and evolutionary dynamics, particularly through immune function scaling, nutritional condition effects on immunity, and disease spread mechanisms. Her work integrates experimental evolution, immunology, and comparative physiology across mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Recent publications highlight her focus on immune cell scaling, ecoimmunology in conservation contexts, and metabolic trade-offs in disease tolerance. She actively mentors graduate students researching topics like West Nile Virus impacts on grouse and host-parasite interactions in ungulates.

Her lab collaborates with institutions such as HormoneBase, the Western Golden Eagle Conservation Team, and wildlife agencies to address conservation physiology and disease ecology challenges.