Paul Cryan, PhD
Paul Cryan is a Research Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.
Mysteries, underdogs, and gadgets have always fascinated me, so for the past two decades I have focused my research on using technology to reveal how some of the 43+ species of U.S. bats live their cryptic lives. My particular interests include uncovering bat migration behaviors and seasonal movements, discovering the details of their winter hideouts and survival strategies, and understanding how infectious diseases influence bat populations. What began as general interest in an understudied group of mammals has grown into a practical search for answers to two of the most pressing threats currently facing U.S. bats - fatalities at wind turbines and the emerging disease known as white-nose syndrome. My basic research approach is to start by synthesizing natural history and existing information, then test plausible new hypotheses in a scientifically defensible way through observational and experimental field studies. I gravitate toward new collaborations and technologies that take us beyond existing methods and expand our abilities to follow and discover what (and how) bats are doing out there in the dark.
Professional Experience
2003 to present, Research Biologist, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO
1999 to 2003, Student Trainee (SCEP), USGS Arid Lands Field Station (Fort Collins Science Center), Albuquerque, NM
1994 to 1997 & 1999 to 2002, Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
1998 to 1999, Wildlife Biologist, USGS Arid Lands Field Station (Fort Collins Science Center), Albuquerque, NM
1995 to 1997, Biological Science Technician, USGS Arid Lands Field Station (Fort Collins Science Center), Albuquerque, NM
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Biology, University of New Mexico, 2003
M.S. Biology, University of New Mexico, 1997
B.A. Biology, The Evergreen State College, 1991
Science and Products
Evidence of cryptic individual specialization in an opportunistic insectivorous bat
Response to: Concerns about extrapolating right off the bat [Letter]
Alphacoronaviruses in New World Bats: Prevalence, Persistence, Phylogeny, and Potential for Interaction with Humans
Bat white-nose syndrome in North America
Monitoring behaviors and activity of bats at wind turbines with near infrared videography
Economic importance of bats in agriculture
Wind Turbines as Landscape Impediments to the Migratory Connectivity of Bats
Investigating and managing the rapid emergence of white-nose syndrome, a novel, fatal, infectious disease of hibernating bats
Experimental infection of bats with Geomyces destructans causes white-nose syndrome
Bats of Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado: Composition, reproduction, and roosting habits
Bat ecology and public health surveillance for rabies in an urbanizing region of Colorado
White-nose syndrome fungus (Geomyces destructans) in bats, Europe
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Evidence of cryptic individual specialization in an opportunistic insectivorous bat
Response to: Concerns about extrapolating right off the bat [Letter]
Alphacoronaviruses in New World Bats: Prevalence, Persistence, Phylogeny, and Potential for Interaction with Humans
Bat white-nose syndrome in North America
Monitoring behaviors and activity of bats at wind turbines with near infrared videography
Economic importance of bats in agriculture
Wind Turbines as Landscape Impediments to the Migratory Connectivity of Bats
Investigating and managing the rapid emergence of white-nose syndrome, a novel, fatal, infectious disease of hibernating bats
Experimental infection of bats with Geomyces destructans causes white-nose syndrome
Bats of Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado: Composition, reproduction, and roosting habits
Bat ecology and public health surveillance for rabies in an urbanizing region of Colorado
White-nose syndrome fungus (Geomyces destructans) in bats, Europe
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.