Cheyenne Graham,

PhD Candidate, Duffy & Speer Labs

Research Description: Cheyenne Graham is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in both Dr. Kelly Speer and Dr. Meghan Duffy labs, studying hybridization and immunology in Neotropical bats. Her research explores how gene flow and evolutionary history shape immune diversity and pathogen tolerance across tropical bat species. By combining fieldwork in Central America with molecular analyses, she aims to uncover how bats’ unique evolutionary adaptations help them coexist with viruses that are harmful to other animals.

Bat Facts: leaf-nosed bats use their intricate, leaf-shaped noses to help focus sound waves for echolocation, SO COOL! 

Photos: Top left, Artibeus bat in Belize, and right, Artibeus jamaicensis in Panama. Courtesy of Cheyenne Graham. 

Cody Thompson

Mammal Collection Manager & Associate Research Scientist

Research Description: "Currently my colleagues and I are exploring the bat immune system. Although bats are known for their superior ability to suppress viruses, little is known how they accomplish this. To better understand bat immune systems, we are combining fieldwork, museum collections, and molecular and computational techniques to holistically describe the anatomical, genetic, and immunologic features that make the bat immune system unique among mammals."

Bat Facts: Bats are long lived with many species living 20+ years!