Profile

Dr. JamesC.NiehwasborninTaiwan, andgrewupinSouthernCalifornia. HereceivedhisB.A. atHarvardin1991 andhisPhDfromCornellUniversityin1997. HesubsequentlyreceivedaNSF-NATOPostdoctoralfellowshiptostudyattheUniversityofWürzburginGermany. Afterthis, hereceivedtheprestigiousHarvardJuniorFellowship. In2000, hejoinedthefacultyintheDivisionofBiologicalSciencesattheUniversityofCaliforniaSanDiegowhereheiscurrentlyaprofessorin theSectionofEcology, Behavior, andEvolution. Dr. Nieh’sinterestsfocusonbeecommunication, cognition, andhealth. Hestudiesmanytypesofsocialbees, includinghoneybees, bumblebees, andstinglessbees. Hislabstudiesforagingandcommunicationinhoneybeesandhoneybeehealth. Theresearchonhoneybeehealthfocusesonhowpesticidesalterhoneybeebehaviorandlearning, howacommonpathogen,Nosemaceranae, infectsbeesandalterstheirbehavior, howhoneybeeimmunitycanbeboostedtofightNosemainfection, and how the bee gut microbiome may help is find new ways to counter Nosemainfection.