​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 the former chief of the Apiary Inspection Section for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Plant Industry, and relocated in 2011 to Lead Monsanto's Honey Bee Health programs.  Hayes participates in the CCD Working Group, the BIP Board and is a Project Apis m. Science Advisor. In addition, he has authored the “Classroom” column in the American Bee Journal for 25 years from which the book of the same name was developed. Hayes is also an author or co-author on 20+ honey bee research papers.

Randy Oliver
Randy started beekeeping 1966 and has “seriously” kept bees since 1980.  He holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from U.C. Irvine and a M.S. in Fisheries Biology from Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA.  Randy currently runs about 1,000 colonies with his two sons.  He is an independent bee researcher and writer.  You can visit the website he maintains at www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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.