| Dana Hawley (Cornell Ph.D. candidate) studies pathogen dynamics in eastern House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). A bacteria which causes debilitating conjunctivitis recently jumped into the eastern House Finch population and continues to infect local finches at high levels. Since the eastern House Finch population is derived from a small number of individuals who were released in New York City in the 1940s, levels of genetic variation in this population are unusually low. Dana is using molecular techniques to examine whether reduced levels of genetic variation make eastern House Finches more susceptible to their novel bacterial pathogen.
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Above:
Dana Hawley works on genetic variability in House Finches.
Left: House Finch with active conjunctivitis caused by Mycoplasma. |
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