About

My name is David Chang van Oordt.

I’m an integrative organismal biologist, ecological immunologist and disease ecologist currently focusing on connecting immune variation with host-pathogen dynamics.

I combine field techniques with laboratory studies to understand how immune phenotypes shape host-pathogen interactions. I study these questions in free-living birds as well as laboratory mice to connect variation of immune mechanisms and ecological processes.

I’m a strong advocate of integrative research that puts biological mechanisms into an ecological and evolutionary perspective that illuminates how systems work and why. For this reason, I am a strong believer in field studies and field research. I believe that fieldwork gives us invaluable research and learning opportunities as we observe nature up close.

I also strongly believe in the importance of representation of multiple axes of diversity in the sciences and in supporting scientists in developing nations. I believe that diversity strengthens our community, both through the creation of safe environments and through sharing ideas coming from a broad spectrum of life experiences.