Professor, Department Chair of Forensic Science
Email: drivers@loyola.edu
Phone: 410-617-2057
Fax: 410-617-5682
Office
Newman Towers West 152L
Loyola University Maryland
4501 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210-2699
Biography
My research laboratory is directed toward two areas of interest: 1) the evolution
of host-parasite relationships, and 2) biology and physiological interactions between
necrophagous flies and parasitic wasps important to criminal investigations (Forensic
Entomology). My primary research interests are in the interactions that occur between
parasitic insects and their hosts. Specifically, I study the behavioral and biochemical
adaptations that result from parasitic invasions of holometabolous insects. Over
the last several years, my attention has been focused toward 5 areas: 1) parasite
regulation of host developmental and nutritional program in relation to the reproductive
strategy (gregarious versus solitary) employed by ectoparasitic wasps, 2) acquisition
of cold tolerance in ectoparasitic wasps, particularly in relation to the influence
of host species, 3) immunological responses of filth flies to parasitism by ectoparasitoids,
4) modes of action of parasitic wasp venoms, and 5) molecular cloning of venom genes
from parasitic wasps.
A new direction for my research laboratory has been investigations of physiological
interactions occurring between flies that develop on a corpse. Presently, I am examining
the physiology of maggot masses, which are large feeding aggregations of fly larvae
that form on an animal carcass during decomposition. My lab is attempting to decipher
the source of heat generation that occurs in these masses, as well as characterizing
the proteotoxic or thermal stress responses and adaptations of flies developing in
maggot masses with elevated temperatures, and determine the costs and benefits to
the life history strategies of necrophagous flies.
Publications
- Rivers, D.B. and A. McGregor.* 2018. Morphological features of regurgitate and defecatory stains deposited by five species of necrophagous flies are influenced by adult diets and body size. Journal of Forensic Sciences 63(1): 154-161.
- Rivers D.B., G. Acca,* M. Fink,* R. Brogan, D. Chen,* A. Schoeffield. 2018. Distinction of fly artifacts from human blood using immunodetection. Journal of Forensic Sciences 63(6) 1704-1711.
- Thompson C., J. Sanchez, M. Smith, J. Costello, A. Madabushi, N. Schuh-Nuhfer, R. Miranda, B. Gaines, K. Kennedy, M. Tangrea, D. Rivers. 2018. Improving Undergraduate Life Science Education for the Biosciences Workforce: Overcoming the Disconnect between Educators and Industry. CBE—Life Sciences Education 17(3):es12.
- Rivers, D.B. 2017. Insects: Evolutionary Success, Unrivaled Diversity and World Domination. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.
- Rivers, D.B. and T. Geiman. 2017. Insect Artifacts Are More Than Just Altered Bloodstains, featured article, special issue of Insects: Advances in Forensic Entomology, 2017, 8(2), 37; doi:10.3390/insects8020037.
- Rivers, D.B., G. Cavanagh, V. Greisman, A. McGregor,* R. Brogan, and A. Schoeffield. Immunoassay detection of fly artifacts produced by several species of necrophagous flies following feeding on human blood. Forensic Science International-Synergy, In press.
Area of Specialization
- Entomology and Forensic Entomology