​Scientific Advisors

At the heart of Project Apis m. is research; seeking science-driven solutions to honey bee health and crop pollination problems. To choose the best projects, we rely on a team of scientists with a wide variety of experience and expertise to review the proposals we receive. We seek projects that will ultimately improve honey bee health.  Our main areas of focus include:  1) pests and disease prevention and control, 2) honey bee nutrition, 3) impacts of pesticides on bees, and 4) long-term honey bee stock improvement.  Reviewers ask questions that ensure the commercial beekeeping community will benefit from the research and its application. Read more about applying for funding. 

Dr. Eric Mussen
Dr. Mussen, now retired, was the Extension Apiculturist for UC-Davis for 34 years. He has organized and delivered various extension programs to beekeepers and others interested in honey bees and crop pollination, and published a widely read bimonthly newsletter. He is a member of the American Association of Professional Apiculturalists, Entomological Society of America, Northern California Entomological Society, California State Beekeepers’ Association, Western Apicultural Society, American Beekeeping Federation and the American Honey Producers’ Association. His newsletter, “From the U.C. Apiaries,” can be accessed here.

Jerry Hayes
Jerry is currently the Editor of Bee Culture magazine, published by the A.I. Root Company. He was formerly the Honey Bee Health lead for Monsanto, Chief of the Apiary Section of the Florida Dept of Agriculture, and Director of Product Development for the Dadant Company. Jerry is an active Science Advisor for Project Apis m. (PAm), and the American Honey Producers Association. He is a founding member of the Honey Bee Health Coalition. In addition he wrote the “Classroom” column in the American Bee Journal for 34 years and a book by the same name. He is author or co-author on 20+ honey bee research papers and is a popular speaker at Honey Bee industry events.
 

Dr. Michelle Flenniken
Michelle is an Assistant Professor in the Plant Sciences Department at Montana State University, where she investigates honey bee host-pathogen interactions. She is also Co-Director of Montana State University's Pollinator Health Center and the recent recipient of a prestigious NSF CAREER award.

Dr. Michael Simone-Finstrom
Michael is a Research Molecular Biologist who works for USDA-ARS. His research has focused on individual and social mechanisms of disease resistance, including resin/propolis use, hygienic behavior and genetic diversity.

Dr. Reed Johnson
​Reed is an Associate Professor at the Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University. Dr. Johnson conducts research in honey bee toxicology, pharmacology and looks to answer questions of honey bee foraging. Dr. Johnson and his colleagues are seeking to understand how to protect pollinators from the pesticides and toxins they encounter.

Dr. Mike Goblirsch
Mike Goblirsch is a Research Entomologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service.  His research focuses on understanding the role of pathogens and other stressors in honey bee health.  He is particularly interested in pathogen-mediated effects to bee cell health. He has developed the first continuous honey bee cell line that serves as a tool, along with individual and colony-level studies, to understanding intracellular microbes that have a negative impact on honey bees

Dr. Brandon Hopkins
Brandon is an Assistant Research Professor at Washington State University in the Department of Entomology.  Initially working on the development of cryopreservation of honey bee germplasm for breeding and conservation, work that enabled the establishment of the world’s first honey bee germplasm repository at WSU and inclusion of honey bee semen in the USDA National Animal Germplasm Program. More recently, research efforts have expanded to include developing practical solutions for the beekeeping industry ranging from bee breeding to varroa control.