Michael P. Ward
· Professor and Levenick Chair in SustainabilityUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Forestry and Natural Resources
Active 1822–2026
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About
Michael P. Ward, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois in 2004, following an M.S. from the same institution in 2000, and a B.S. from Truman State University in 1995. Dr. Ward leads the Ward Laboratory, which focuses on avian biology, migration research, bird movement, and population trends and monitoring. His lab manages extensive research projects including the Illinois Motus Network, which involves tracking bird movements through a network of Motus stations across Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, and Mexico. The lab's research encompasses diverse topics such as the restoration of endangered waterbird colonies, quantifying bird populations, and analyzing migration behavior of species like the northern saw-whet owl and Eastern Whip-poor-wills. Dr. Ward's work integrates field surveys, data collection, and advanced tracking technologies to better understand the ecology and conservation of migratory birds. Through his mentorship, he advises graduate students and researchers investigating various aspects of avian ecology, including habitat use, migration routes, diet, and the effects of forest management on bird species. His research contributes to applied conservation strategies aimed at sustaining bird populations and their habitats across North America and Central America.
Research topics
- Virology
- Medicine
- Biology
- Geography
- Internal medicine
- Statistics
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Veterinary medicine
- Environmental science
Selected publications
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-03-28
preprintOpen accessAbstract Greenspaces are integral to the urban environment and affect climate resilience, yet the extent to which they affect mosquito and West Nile virus (WNV) host populations and behavior is not clear. To address this question, we collected mosquitoes along a transect spanning a range of urban development. Mosquitoes were tested for West Nile virus, and the host species that were fed on determined for blood-fed specimens. Bird counts and camera traps were used to assess avian and mammal speci…
Cryopreservation of iPSC-Derived Microglia v1
2025-04-04
preprintOpen accessThis protocol outlines cryopreservation and thawing procedures for human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia (iMicroglia). The described methods enable the long-term storage of mature iMicroglia in either freezers or liquid nitrogen tanks, ensuring cell viability upon thawing. By utilizing appropriate cryoprotectants, this protocol facilitates the effective preservation of microglia for future studies, allowing for reproducible experiments and robust recovery after cryopreserv…
The Science of The Total Environment · 2025-12-01
articleOpen accessGreenspaces are integral to the urban environment, enhancing climate resilience and providing several additional environmental, social and public health benefits, yet the extent to which they affect vector-borne disease transmission is not clear. We explored this question in the context of mosquito and West Nile virus (WNV) host populations, infection rates and foraging behavior. We collected mosquitoes from greenspaces along a transect spanning a range of urban development. Mosquitoes were test…
Frequent coauthors
- 103 shared
Ravinay Bhindi
Royal North Shore Hospital
- 101 shared
Victoria Brookes
University of Sydney
- 77 shared
U. Allahwala
University of Sydney
- 52 shared
Steve Shellman
Strategic Analysis Enterprises (United States)
- 50 shared
Navneet K. Dhand
University of Sydney
- 49 shared
Jennifer Lautenschlager
Lockheed Martin (United States)
- 49 shared
Elizabeth Boschee
Southern States University
- 49 shared
James Starz
Lockheed Martin (Canada)
Labs
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