Affiliations
Member, Monell Chemical Senses Center
Education
Ph.D., Ecology; Colorado State University
Research Summary
As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately demonstrated, human health is closely linked to animal health. New tools are necessary to monitor viral infections in domestic and wild animals as well as humans. The role of metabolomics is growing exponentially, which has been mirrored in my own lab where we have identified patterns of volatile signals associated with inflammation, infection, and injury. We employ our understanding of analytical chemistry, physiology, ecology, and statistics to improve the health and well-being of all species.
Keywords
metabolomics, chemical ecology, analytical chemistry, behavior, bioassay, foraging ecology
Representative Publications
Lee, Y.E. Bowen, R.B., and Kimball, B.A. (2025). Avian Influenza Virus Strain Specificity in the Volatile Metabolome. Metabolites 15, 486.
Golden, G.J., Ramirez, E.A., Stevens, H.N., Bourbois, J., Grove, D., Bowen, R.A., DeLiberto, T.J., and Kimball, B.A. (2024). Biodetection of an odor signature in white-tailed deer associated with infection by chronic wasting disease prions. Plos One. 19(8): e0303225.
Gordon, A.R., Lundstrom, J.N., Kimball, B.A., Karshikoff, B. Sorjonen, K., Hoglund, C.O., Soop, A., Axelsson, J., Lekander, M., Olsson, M.J. (2023). Human scent as a first-line defense against disease. Sci. Report. 13: 16709.
Hopken, M.W., Gilfillan, D., Gilbert, A.T., Piaggio, A.J., Hilton, M.S., Pierce, J., Kimball, B, Abdo, Z. (2023). Biodiversity indices and Random Forests reveal the potential for striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) fecal microbial communities to function as a biomarker for oral rabies vaccination. PloS One 18(8): e0285852.
Chaskes, M., Lee, Y.E., Toskala, E., Nyquist, G., Rosen, M., Kimball. B.A., Rabinowitz, M. (2022). Unique Volatile Metabolite Signature of Sinonasal Inverted Papilloma Detectable in Plasma and Nasal Secretions. Internat. Forum Allergy Rhinol. 12(10): 1254-1262.
Golden, G.J., Opiekun, M., Martin, T., and Kimball, B.A. (2021). Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease. PLoS One. 16(11): e0259415
Millet P., Martin, T., Opiekun, M., Beauchamp, G.K., and Kimball, B.A. (2021). Differing Alterations of Odor Volatiles among Pathogenic Stimuli. Chem. Senses. 46: bjab030.
Golden, G.J., Grady, M.J., McLean, H.E., Shriner, S.A., Hartwig, A.E., Bowen, R.A., and Kimball, B.A. (2021). Biodetection of a Specific Odor Signature in Mallard Feces Associated with Infection by Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza A Virus. PLoS One. 16(5): e0251841
Sarolidou, G., Tognetti, A., Lasselin, J., Regenbogen, C., Lundström, J.N., Kimball, B.A., Garke, M., Lekander, M., Axelsson, J., and Olsson, M.J. (2020). Olfactory Communication of Sickness Cues in Respiratory Infection. Front. Psychol. 11:1004.
Kimball, B.A.; Volker, S.F.; Griffin, D.L.; Johnson, S.R.; Gilbert, A.T. (2019). Volatile Metabolomic Signatures of Rabies Immunization in Two Mesocarnivore Species. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 13, e0007911.
Gervasi, S.S.; Opiekun, M.; Martin, T.; Beauchamp, G.K.; Kimball, B.A. (2018). Sharing an environment with sick conspecifics alters the odors of healthy animals. Sci Rep, 8, 14255.
Gordon, A.R.; Kimball, B.A.;Sorjonen, K.; Karshikoff, B.; Axelsson, J.; Lekander, M.; Lundstrom, J.N.; Olsson, M.J. (2018). Detection of Inflammation via Volatile Cues in Human Urine. Chem Senses, 43, 711-719.
Millet P.; Opiekun, M.; Martin, T.; Beauchamp, G.K.; Kimball, B.A. (2018). Cytokine Contributions to Alterations of the Volatile Metabolome Induced by Inflammation. Brain Behav Immun, 69, 312–320.
Kimball, B.A. (2016). Volatile Metabolome: Problems and Prospects. Bioanalysis, 8, 1987-1991.
Kimball, B.A.; Cohen, A.S.; Gordon, A.R.; Opiekun, M.; Martin, T.; Elkind, J.; Lundstrom, J.N.; Beauchamp, G.K. (2016). Brain Injury Alters Volatile Metabolome. Chemical Senses, 41, 407-14.
Kimball, B.A.; Wilson, D.A.; Wesson, D.W. (2016). Alterations of the Volatile Metabolome in Mouse Models of Alzheimer’s Disease. Scientific Reports, 6, 19495.
Kimball, B.A.; Opiekun, M.; Yamazaki, K.; Beauchamp, G.K. (2014) Immunization Alters Body Odor. Physiology & Behavior, 128, 80-85.
Olsson, M.J.; Lundström, J.N.; Kimball, B.A.; et al. (2014) The scent of disease: Human body odor contains an early chemosensory cue of sickness. Psychological Science, 20:1-7.
