Students working with Dr. Cunningham can expect to work with birds either in the wild or on campus. Dr. Cunningham's research focuses on how birds use their sense of smell. In the early days of avian biology, birds were thought to not rely much on scents. We now know that a variety of birds, from albatrosses flying over the ocean hunting for prey to pigeons returning to their roost, use their sense of smell regularly. In the field, Dr. Cunningham is currently working with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) investigating the sense of smell of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus). He was among the first researchers to demonstrate that a penguin has a functioning sense of smell, as he showed that African penguins can detect a food-related odor. Current research focuses on whether or not penguins can detect fecal odors: a scent that many animals use as a way of recognizing individuals. Dr. Cunningham has previously facilitated research for Fisher students at SANCCOB. In addition to working on penguins in South Africa, Dr. Cunningham collaborates with local zoos in the Rochester area. Dr. Cunningham is also interested in how odors can be used to alter the stress physiology of a bird. Animals in a stressed state release a cascade of hormones which alter a variety of physiological processes. A variety of researchers have successfully decreased stress hormones in rats by exposing them to a plant-derived scent and Dr. Cunningham is working with undergraduate students to do the same in birds. Although Dr. Cunningham focuses on olfaction in birds, he is generally interested in many elements of avian research. A student proposing research of a purely ecological or animal behavior based study would be welcome in the lab. Dr. Cunningham, along with undergraduate students, is currently working at the nearby Braddock Bay Bird Observatory on Lake Ontario to collect stress hormone levels from a variety of songbirds.