Peggy Eby News Today

Government and groups that award grants to scientists favor research that’s high tech and treatment oriented rather than studies that seek to understand why contagions leap from animals to people.

Funders thought watching bats wasn’t important. Then she helped solve the mystery of a deadly virus.

Government and nonprofit groups that award grants to scientists favor research that’s high tech and treatment oriented rather than studies that seek to understand why contagions leap from animals to people in the first place.

Dressed head-to-toe in protective gear, Peggy Eby crawled on her hands and knees under a fig tree, searching for bat droppings and fruit with telltale fang marks.

"Numerous global reforestation efforts are underway, but research suggests getting long-term benefits is harder than it looks, and some projects can do more harm than good."

"Funders thought watching bats wasn’t important. Then she helped solve the mystery of a deadly virus."

Funders thought watching bats wasn’t important. Then she helped solve the mystery of a deadly virus.

Ecologist Peggy Eby’s discovery after decades of studying bats in Australia underscores the time and shoe-leather research needed to prevent future pandemics.

Bats account for 90% of predicted viral transmission between mammal species | Graphic detail

Preserving and restoring natural habitats in specific locations could prevent pathogens that originate in wildlife from spilling over into domesticated animals and humans, according to new research led by an international team of researchers, including Penn State.