ABOUT ME
As a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory for 30 years I had a focus on epidemiology and animal disease ecology. In the fall of 2025, I left to become the Chief Scientist for the Global Conservation Institute that help co-found in 2004.
I was the principle investigator for a long-term (30 years) research project on the impacts of environmental stress on cavity-nesting birds. From 2013-2016 I was Science Program lead with the Biological Threat Reduction Program at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. In 2013, I served as Program Manager for the Long-term Strategy for Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability at Los Alamos. In 2012 I served as Editor-in-Chief of the Guidelines for the Use of Wild Birds in Research.During 2005-2009 focus on modeling of pandemic influenza I was the lead epidemiologist/analyst for Critical Infrastructure Protection and Decision Support Systems Team for the Department of Homeland Security's response to the emerging threat.
EDUCATION
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Ecoimmunology
Comparative avian biology specializing in immunology, disease, and response to stress, including contaminants in the environment. Development of wild and domestic bird immunological techniques for investigating immunocompetence and ecological physiology in birds. Determination of host range and species susceptibility of West Nile Virus and avian influenza.
Iandiorio, M.J., J. M Fair, S. Chatzipanagiotou, A.Ioannidis, E. Trikka-Graphakos, N. Charalampaki, C. Sereti, G.P. Tegos, A. L. Hoogesteijn, and A. L Rivas. 2016 Preventing data ambiguity in infectious diseases with four-dimensional, earlier, personalized, in vivo evaluations. PloS One.http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0159001
1996-1999 Ph.D.
University of Missouri - St. Louis
Dissertation: The ecological and immunological costs of contaminants on birds.
Advisor, Dr. Robert Ricklefs
Epidemiology
System dynamic modeling of epidemiology and human health risk to emerging zoonotic pathogens. Modeling and simulation of emerging and zoonotic diseases in animal and human populations and our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure.
Brown, M., L. Moore, D. Powell, B. McMahon, M. LaBute, J. Hyman, A. Rivas, M. Greene, M. Jankowki, J. Berendzen, J. Loeppky, and J. Fair. 2015. Constructing Rigorous and Broad Biosurveillance Networks for Detecting Emerging Zoonotic Outbreaks. PloS One10: e0124037. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124037.
Environmental Toxicology
Now in its 20 year, the Avian Netbox Network of over 500 boxes across Los Alamos National Laboratory investigatges the physiological & poulation level effects of potential contamination on cavity-nesting birds.Haig,S.M., D’Elia, J., Eagles-Smith, C., Fair, J.M., Gervais, J., Herring, G., Rivers, J.W. and J. H. Schulz. 2014. The persistent problem of lead poisoning in birds from ammunition and fishing tackle. Condor Ornithological Applications 116: 408–428.
Scientific Collaboration
The key to scientific collaboration and transformational science is relationships. Understanding how trust and open communication, especially with international collaborations is an intrest of mine. Fair, J.M., M. Stokes, D. Pennington and I. Mendenhall. 2016. Scientific Collaborations: How do we Measure the Return on Relationships? Frontiers Public Health. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2016.00009/full
1989 - 1992 M.S.
Colorado State University- Fishery & Wildlife Biology
Thesis: The effects of carbaryl grasshopper control on nesting killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in North Dakota.
Advisor, Dr. Patricia Kennedy
1985 - 1989 B.A.
University of Northern Colorado - Zoology
Emphasis in parasitology.
Advisor, Dr. Gerald Schmidt.
