April 28, 2025
Robert Driver—Evolution and Functional Characterization of Olfactory Receptors in Birds
Vertebrates detect odor molecules with olfactory receptors (ORs), a gene family expressed in the olfactory epithelium. Among species, OR diversity is associated with reliance on smell, with some mammals exceeding 2,000 OR genes. Birds are the most speciose class of terrestrial vertebrates, inhabiting nearly all land environments and with diverse social structures and foraging strategies, yet were long thought to make limited use of olfactory signals. Recent behavioral work in birds has shown important roles for olfaction in foraging and species recognition, among other behaviors. Contributing to this surge of interest in avian olfaction, our recent work has shown that birds have hundreds more OR genes in their genomes than previously realized.
Dr. Driver received his B.S. in Biology from Muhlenberg College in 2009 and his M.S. degree in Biology in 2017 from Villanova University. In 2022, Robert received his PhD in Biology from East Carolina University. Robert is currently an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University, in the lab of Dr. Hiroaki Matsunami, where he researches bird olfactory receptors and bird sense of smell.
May 19, 2025
Bradley Scholten—Assessing the spread of antibiotic resistant Salmonella and E. coli in songbirds and at birdfeeders
Bradley will talk about his research which focuses on understanding the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria in songbirds, specifically looking at Salmonella and E. coli – two pathogens that can cause epidemics in both humans and birds. Currently, he is looking at potential sources for where songbirds acquire these bacteria. Ultimately, he hopes his research will contribute to solutions for limiting the spread of antibiotic resistance and zoonotic diseases.
Bradley is a fifth year PhD student in the Biology program at North Carolina State University, advised by Drs. Roland Kays and Martha Burford Reiskind. He is a 2020 Genetics and Genomics Scholar and a 2024 Global One Health Fellow.
Before starting his PhD, Bradley received his BS in Biology at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he studied schistosome parasites in common mergansers at inland lakes in Northern Michigan, and also researched how drone flying affects behaviors and stress physiology in tree swallows.
