Deborah O'Dell

Professor of Biology University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg VA

Dr. O'Dell performs research into how bees use magnetic fields to orient themselves.

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Spotlight

Aug 20, 2018

1 min

Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer? Ask a UMW expert

UMW Associate Professor of Biology Deb O’Dell was recently featured on “Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?” which began airing Saturday, Aug. 18, on the With Good Reason public radio show. The program, broadcast in Fredericksburg on Radio IQ 88.3 Digital at 2 p.m. Sundays, explores O’Dell’s research on the possible carcinogenic effects of one of America’s favorite gadgets. Her results – she found that a single 25-minute exposure can significantly alter the activity of genes for up to 48 hours – “surprised and alarmed” her. “You don’t use your cell phone once every two days,” O’Dell told With Good Reason host Sarah McConnell, who said she was “amazed” by the research. “What I’m afraid of [is] that these changes are not being permitted to go back to their original state … but rather, by continually activating them, we’re causing them to change persistently and that could then lead to changes in how cells reproduce themselves leading then, maybe, to tumors.” Questions surrounding the safety of cell phones and the effects of the radiation they emit have long loomed large. O’Dell has spent years – and involved several UMW students – researching this phenomenon. If you are covering this topic and need to know more – Dr. Deborah O'Dell is available to speak with media. Simply click on her icon to arrange an interview. Source:

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Biography

Can bees smell your fear? Is there a connection between cell phone towers and honey? These are just a few of the questions being explored by Deborah O’Dell, professor of biology at the University of Mary Washington.

According to Dr. O’Dell, bees can’t smell your fear, but they can smell your nervous body odor.

“When afraid, a person sweats, discharging ‘does not belong in hive’ chemicals,” says Dr. O’Dell. “When bees detect that, they produce an alarm pheromone that may signal others to attack.”

So what is the solution? Always wear strong, unscented deodorant around bees.

Due to her studies of magnetic orientation in bees, Dr. O’Dell also is interested in recent studies suggesting that bees living near cell phone towers may become disoriented and produce less honey.

A member of the Society for Neuroscience, Dr. O’Dell is an expert on the structure and function of the nervous system, magnetic orientation in animals and developmental neurobiology. Much of her research focuses on the function and development of nervous systems, including bees, and the role of inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. She also won a 2010 VSO research grant in partnership with UMW Associate Professor of Biology Andrew Dolby for their project, “Enzyme Immunoassay Quantification of Heat Shock Protein 60,” and its application to avian conservation biology.

Areas of Expertise

Biology

Neuroscience

Magnetic Orientation in Animals

Developmental Neurobiology

Alzheimer's Disease

Learning and Memory

Learning & Memory

Education

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Ph.D.

Developmental Biology

1985

Ursinus College

B.Sc.

Biology

1979

Affiliations

Society for Neuroscience : Member
Virginia Academy of Science the Society for Developmental Biology
Beta Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma

Media Appearances

Can Bees Actually Smell Fear?

Maxim online

2014-09-30

They can’t smell your fear, but they can smell your nervous B.O. “When afraid, a person sweats, discharging ‘does not belong in hive’ chemicals,” says Deborah O’Dell, associate professor of biology at the University of Mary Washington. “When bees detect that, they produce an alarm pheromone that may signal others to attack.” So, always wear strong, unscented deodorant around bees...

Magnetic Orientation in Bees

With Good Reason online

2012-09-01

Also featured: Deborah O’Dell (University of Mary Washington) studies magnetic orientation in bees, which, like homing pigeons, use magnetic fields to orientate themselves. She’s interested in recent studies that suggest that bees living near cell phone towers may become disoriented and produce less honey...