Hello there my dear friends and welcome to the world of birds and their viruses

Inside the Lab:

My name is Jonathan Dain, and I am a Ph.D. student at UMASS Boston working in the lab of Dr. Nichola Hill. We are a “Disease Ecology” lab focused on answering questions about the recent avian influenza outbreaks in wild birds. My personal interest is in the differential gene expression profiles of birds in response to infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Why do some bird species get infected with the virus and die very quickly while others are asymptomatic? How much does the host gene expression impact the spread of this virus into new areas and populations? Within a single species what do dichotomies in disease susceptibility indicate genetically?

Outside the Lab:

Apart from my studies at UMB, I am a fun-loving husband to Amanda Dain. I am an avid herpetologist and ornithologist and you will often find me with eyes to the sky, flipping logs, or waist-deep in a bog with frogs. As a lover of coffee, I am always down to pour a cup and sit at the table with a great book or have a deep conversation with a friend. I do my best to find beauty in the little moments in life and I have often said “wonder makes the common uncommon”. So come join me on this adventure with birds, viruses, coffee, and books and let’s see what wonders are ahead of us.