Meet the Winners:
2025 BioOne Ambassador
Research Summary
Humboldt Penguins: A Conservation Crisis
This video is in reference to:
Evaluation of Metal Partitioning Across Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) Egg Components
Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 60(2): 474-489 (2024)
Mya Daniels-Abdulahad, Dimitrios Giarikos, Michael J. Adkesson, Amy C. Hirons
Profile: Mya Daniels-Abdulahad
As a Ph.D. student investigating the effects of environmental contamination on Humboldt penguin physiology, I am incredibly interested in the role heavy metals play in avian reproductive health. Seabirds are excellent indicators of ecosystem health, making them an incredible taxonomic group to both study and conserve.
What drew you to the research topic you explored in your submission?
When first starting my graduate studies, I was afforded the opportunity to pursue research on managed care penguins at the Brookfield Zoo Chicago. As a lifelong lover of all things bird-related, I jumped at the opportunity to employ my scientific knowledge and laboratory expertise in a way that could produce positive changes for the conservation of this species. The results of this project can help establish how harmful contaminants from mines near the Punta San Juan marine reserve (home to the largest Peruvian population of Humboldt penguins) might be to wild birds.
How do you see your work contributing to public policy, citizen science, and/or science education more broadly?
The Humboldt penguin has been vulnerable to extinction for over 20 years, and environmental contamination from coastal mining threatens to severely impact population health. The findings of this project support the need for ongoing conservation work in Peru to address the negative impacts of mining. I am hopeful that our empirical evidence of maternal transfer of contaminants into eggs can be utilized to support justifications for the preservation of coastal habitat, encourage implementation of sustainable mining practices and inspire public education on the effects of coastal mining on environmental health.
What are your continuing research goals for the future (near or far)? What topics, areas, subjects are you interested in exploring?
My current Ph.D. research focuses on a more comprehensive assessment of contaminant uptake in Humboldt penguins, and investigates the physiologic pathways through which these compounds can be excreted, such as deposition into new feather growth. As a prospective veterinary student, I look forward to a career in which I can expand my research into facets of wildlife health and disease that can inform conservation efforts for a variety of species.
Is there anything else you want to share about you or your research?
I am incredibly appreciative of the opportunity I’ve had to work with such a charismatic species and the amazing team of researchers at the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Punta San Juan Program, and Nova Southeastern University who have facilitated this work. I extend my thanks to the Journal of Wildlife Diseases for nominating me for this award, as it is an immense honor.
About the Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Why is it important that research from your journal be communicated to a wider audience?
As the premier journal for wildlife health, the Journal of Wildlife Diseases is a platform to highlight the critical importance of those intrinsic global One Health connections between wildlife, humans and the environment. It provides a consistent and revered source of information which has formed the basis of public discussion and the impetus for changes in processes and protocols. Its 70-plus years of publication have featured some extraordinary and groundbreaking findings which have changed the way we view wildlife, and it has constantly evolved, indeed often setting the tone for our expanding global perception of wildlife health.
How does the BioOne Ambassador Award support your publishing goals and advance Mya Daniels-Abdulahad’s work?
The BioOne Ambassador Award, like our journal, assists in showcasing the Wildlife Disease Association’s (WDA) amazing cadre of students and early career professionals, and extends the positive publishing experience we aim to provide, especially for those sharing their research for the first time. In addition, the award nurtures effective scientific communication, conveying knowledge in a way that is accessible to all. It also builds on the research presented in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, stimulating nominees and audiences to consider the wider implications of scientific discovery and the unparalleled contribution it makes to the world as a whole. The Ambassador Award and the Journal of Wildlife Diseases collectively provide a vital context for scientific endeavour.
Mya’s presentation embodied all the aspirations of good scientific communication, synthesizing and simplifying incredibly complex concepts to make them relatable and easy to understand. Using engaging visuals, narrative and delivery, she effectively explained a very detailed research project ensuring her audience clearly grasped not just the processes but, more importantly, the significance of the study and the implications for the wider world.
How does highlighting early career voices strengthen both your field and public understanding of science?
Highlighting young voices through the Ambassador Award creates an environment which gives them the confidence to pursue their passion and produces a generation of scientists who can effectively communicate their work, and the broader significance of science, to their colleagues, their wider community, and their own students when the time comes. It is hoped that they will inspire others and pass on their knowledge of and enthusiasm for these lifelong skills as they move along their career path. By demystifying science, they are paving the way for greater understanding of science as a whole, the role it plays in our lives and engagement by the wider community. They are the future of science and our future as well.
ContactInformation
Mya Daniels-Abdulahad
For information about the Wildlife Disease Association, please visit their website:
For questions about BioOne or the BioOne Ambassador Award, please contact: