Featured Post from University of Delaware

Bird flu resurfaces in chicken, turkey flocks, in midst of fall migration

Nov 7, 2023

2 min

Across the U.S., cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza are ramping up again in commercial chicken and turkey flocks as well as backyard flocks. HPAI, commonly known as bird flu, is a highly contagious viral disease that is fatal to chickens and turkeys. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 60 million commercial and backyard birds in the U.S. have died from the disease or been killed to contain its spread, since the current, ongoing outbreak first hit U.S. commercial flocks in early 2022.

Wild bird migrations are an especially important signal to the Delmarva Peninsula, a major broiler chicken producing region, that HPAI could be near.

“In the Atlantic Flyway, extending from the northern Delmarva down to the Carolinas, that’s where the bulk of the Atlantic Flyway birds overwinter,” said Jeffrey Buler, a professor of wildlife ecology in the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “We get tens of thousands of snow geese that are here in the winter, and they’re just starting to arrive.”

Wild birds, particularly waterfowl, can shed the virus through their saliva or feces. Around this time of year, waterfowl are migrating south, to their wintering grounds.

Buler is part of a team of scientists from the University of Delaware, the University of California, Davis, and the U.S. Geological Survey that has been researching using weather radar to track migrating wild birds that could be carrying avian influenza viruses.

“It gives us an idea of where and when these migrations are happening,” Buler said. “So ultimately, the poultry industry can ramp up their biosecurity.”

Buler can talk about wild bird migrations, what types of migratory birds we tend to see in Delaware this time of year, trends in fall migration and climate, and ongoing weather radar research.

To arrange an interview with Jeffrey Buler on this topic, click the “Contact” button in his ExpertFile profile.

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Jeffrey Buler

Professor, Wildlife Ecology

Prof. Buler's current research focuses on radar biology, avian ecology and migration, landscape ecology, and conservation biology.

Bird MigrationRadar AeroecologyLandscape EcologySpecies Distribution ModelingStopover Ecology

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Oct 21, 2026

1 min

Blood Clots Can Sideline Elite Athletes. Could Microrobots Offer a New Approach?

Blood clots have sidelined or ended the careers of several elite athletes, drawing attention to a potentially life-threatening condition. The University of Delaware's Sambeeta Das is part of a team that has developed tiny, magnetically guided robots that could offer a new approach to removing such blockages. The list of athletes affected by blood clots includes NBA champion Chris Bosh, whose career ended after recurring clots; tennis great Serena Williams, who survived two life-threatening pulmonary embolisms; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, who was shut down in February 2025 when deep vein thrombosis was discovered in his right shoulder; and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, whose recent diagnosis of blood clots in his lungs has drawn national attention. In a published study, Das and her colleagues demonstrated that magnetic microrobots could mechanically break apart clusters of human liver cancer cells and clear them from narrow channels designed to model blood vessels. The robots used mechanical forces rather than drugs or chemicals to disperse the clusters. The research offers an early proof of concept for using microrobots to remove unwanted cellular material in confined spaces. Das can discuss how the technology works, its potential application to blood-clot removal, the challenges of targeting blockages inside the body, and what further research is needed to explore its use in patients. To contact Das and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click the “Contact” button. Reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Oct 20, 2026

2 min

From Baseball to Business: The Science of Team Success

The ingredients that create a World Series team often mirrors how units achieve success in business. How did they get there? The University of Delaware's Kyle Emich says the answer goes beyond assembling a roster of star players. Emich, a professor of management, says that how players combine their strengths, respond to opponents and create opportunities together can be just as important as individual talent. The same is true in business, where a collection of talented employees doesn’t automatically translate into a high-performing team, he said. One example is the approach that the 2026 Milwaukee Brewers’ took during their postseason run. Rather than relying exclusively on home runs and individual star power, the team created opportunities through a combination of speed, patience at the plate, timely hitting and pressure on opposing defenses. A stolen base, a walk or a defensive mistake might seem like a small event on its own, but the effects can build as players’ actions interact. These interactions matter, he says, because teams are not simply collections of individuals; their performance emerges from how people and their activities affect one another within a larger environment. The same is true in business as well as baseball. Businesses may recruit exceptional employees or invest in promising technologies such as artificial intelligence, yet fail to realize their potential if their processes, team structures and working practices don’t support those strengths. Emich can discuss: • Beyond Moneyball: What baseball’s emphasis on statistics and individual talent reveals about the limits of evaluating people in isolation. • Building better teams: How coordination, complementary strengths and the interaction among team members contribute to performance. • Strategy and competition: What baseball teams’ adjustments to opponents can teach business leaders about responding to competitors and changing conditions. • Technology and the future of work: Why adopting artificial intelligence or other new technologies is not enough without considering how people, processes and technology work together. To reach Emich directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile page and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Oct 19, 2026

2 min

NBA stars and Achilles injuries: The road back to peak performance

A new NBA season brings plenty of storylines, from star players in new uniforms to the debut of promising rookies. But for players recovering from Achilles tendon injuries, returning to the court is just the beginning, says the University of Delaware's Karin Grävare Silbernagel. Regaining strength, explosiveness and consistent performance can take longer to achieve, said Silbernagel, a professor of physical therapy who studies tendon injuries and rehabilitation, with a focus on Achilles tendon ruptures, ankle function and long-term physical performance. Her research explores why recovery involves more than healing tissue or returning to competition. Strength, movement, tendon function and the ability to perform under the demands of sport all matter, she said. In a recent study, Silbernagel and colleagues examined single-leg jumping in people about two years after an Achilles tendon rupture. They found that fatigue affected ankle power differently on the injured and uninjured sides, highlighting how an injury can influence movement and the way the body distributes physical demands even well into recovery. Silbernagel can discuss: • Why returning to the court does not necessarily mean an NBA player has regained full strength, explosiveness or durability. • How clinicians assess recovery and readiness to return to sport after an Achilles tendon rupture. • How rehabilitation, progressive loading and return-to-sport testing can help guide recovery. • What research reveals about lingering changes in movement and function after tendon injuries. • What Achilles injuries can mean for athletic performance over time. Silbernagel leads the Delaware Tendon Research Group and consults with professional sports teams. Her research has helped inform clinical guidelines for treating tendon injuries. To reach Silbernagel directly and arrange and interview, visit her profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.