Photo of Emily Cohen

Faculty

Emily B. Cohen

Associate Professor
Faculty
Emily B. Cohen
Associate Professor
Appalachian Laboratory

Bio

Research in Dr. Cohen’s laboratory broadly aims to understand animal migration biology in the context of the full annual cycle. We live in a rapidly changing world where many species are declining, and this is especially true for migratory species. It is possible that changes in habitat, climate, and resource availability due to unprecedented human activity are inflating the costs associated with animal migration. At the same time, advancing technologies and analytical tools are making it possible to solve many of the important mysteries about migratory animals. Dr. Cohen’s research makes use of field, lab, and remotely sensed data integrated with rigorous quantitative tools to 1) address fundamental questions about migration biology, 2) understand how and why migration is changing and migratory species are declining, and 3) develop tools for the inclusion of stopover and airspace habitats into conservation and management efforts for migratory species.

Areas of Expertise

  • Animal Migration
  • Migratory Connectivity
  • Stopover Biology and Aeroecology
  • Population and Behavioral Ecology
  • Ornithology

Regularly Offered Courses

Graduate Program Foundation Areas

Lab News

UMCES receives $1.12M NSF grant for migratory bird conservation efforts

Part of the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation award of $16M in grants to support science-led conservation projects.

Migratory bird species found to be socially oriented

Study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences encourages further analysis into the nature and consequences of migrating species interactions.

Summer Professional Learning Experience Planned for Maryland Teachers

In summer 2024, Appalachian Laboratory Associate Professor Dr. Emily Cohen and Assistant Research Scientist Dr. Claire Nemes, along with Dr. Mary Stapleton of the Towson University Center for STEM Excellence, will offer a unique summer workshop experience for Maryland middle and high school teachers.

DeSimone selected for NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Dr. Joely DeSimone was recently selected for a three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology to begin in June 2024 under the mentorship of Dr. Emily Cohen at the Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES).

New research will help minimize impact of wind energy development on migratory birds

Researchers have found that data collected by weather radar networks could be used to reduce collisions and minimize habitat-related impacts of wind turbines on nocturnally migrating birds.

Emily Cohen awarded NSF CAREER Award to study migrating birds as communities

Assistant Professor Emily Cohen has received a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation to lead a five-year research program to help understand the processes that influence the formation of bird communities during spring and fall migration.

New study highlights importance of U.S. coastal habitats for migrating birds

A recently published research paper, led by UMCES' Emily Cohen, combines the two components of bird migration, passage (flight) and stopover (rest), into a new metric called the stopover-to-passage ratio.

Paper proposes framework for future study of "co-migration"

A recent paper by UMCES Appalachian Laboratory scientist Emily Cohen and co-author Dara Satterfield proposes a new framework to help researchers better understand and study communities of migrating animals.