Welcome to the UNCG Social Insect Lab!

We use honey bees as our main model to study a variety of exciting biological questions. Specifically, I am interested in the genetics of complex traits, genomics, social behavior, and aging. In addition, we address the urgent problem of honey bee health by studying the biology of stress and the interactions among parasitic Varroa mites, the viruses they vector, and their honey bee hosts.

We are a dynamic, collaborative group, amalgamated by our love for scientific exploration of the natural world around us. Pollinators, and honey bees in particular, are critical contributors to this natural world and are also vital to human food production. They live in complex societies that are fun to explore and add a level of biological organization that allows for unique tests of biological theory.

We employ a variety of research approaches, ranging from advanced apiculture, behavioral observations, and approaches used in disease ecology to theoretical modeling and analyses, bioinformatic studies of large-scale data sets, and molecular lab techniques, such as microsatellite genotyping and gene expression analysis.

Please contact us if you are interested in joining us on our exciting journey. If you want to support us and our research, please give online and designate the gift as “Other” – Honey Bee Research.