Avian influenza (AI) affects both the poultry industry and public health, as it can cross species and infect livestock, pets, marine mammals and humans. Dong-Hun Lee, assistant professor in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources' Department of Pathobiology, has studied this virus for the past thirteen years, using genome sequencing and comparative phylogenetic analysis to examine evolutionary changes that highlight the role of wild birds in the spread of these viruses.