ASIU Science Out Loud Summary: Dr. Daniella Chusyd

At first glance, elephant biology seems like an unlikely focus within a School of Public Health. For Professor Daniella Chusyd, however, elephantology provides a unique way to gain new insights into human aging.

Chusyd examines how elephants—mammals who, unlike humans, typically don’t have access to modern medicine—can reach similar ages to humans. “What did they evolve that allows them to reach the similar ages that humans do? If we could understand how that happens, then that information can be used to help improve human aging as well,” she said. Despite their size and distinctive appearance, elephants share key traits with us, such as good memory and a tendency to care for their young, making them an interesting research subject.

Elephants also provide valuable information in the search for new cancer therapy targets. “Elephants have a much lower cancer mortality rate than you would expect given their body size and lifespan,” Chusyd said. “That’s in part because they have extra copies of a specific gene that makes them more sensitive to DNA damage, and they kill those cells before they could replicate and turn into a tumor.” By uncovering mechanisms like these, scientists help inform the development of new therapeutics for diseases like cancer.

Not only does Professor Chusyd’s work influence human health, but she also hopes to drive conservation efforts and better space management—particularly because elephants are a keystone species with a disproportionately large impact on their environment.

To conduct her research, Professor Chusyd maintains an active field team in Zambia and collaborates with partners and stakeholders in Namibia, while her prior research has included fieldwork in Uganda and the Republic of Congo. In South Africa, she leads a field-based study abroad course in which students collect biological samples and ecological data from elephants.

“A lot of people think I’m just going on vacation,” Chusyd said. “In fact, I probably do more work when I’m in the field than I do when I’m here in Bloomington. Whether that’s writing papers, writing grants, or mentoring my students. Then, on top of all that, I’m out in the field doing field research.” With limited electricity at night and a slower-paced culture, daily life can require more patience and work than her work back in Bloomington.

One of the values of this type of comparative research is its ability to reveal solutions to biological problems our own bodies have yet to solve. “If we only study the same species, whether we’re always studying people or always studying rodents, we’re learning just a sliver of this massive pie,” she said. For Chusyd, looking beyond traditional research models is important in the process of asking better scientific questions.

Because of its somewhat unclear connection to human health, at times, it can be difficult for scientists like Professor Chusyd to convince the public of their research’s worth. She emphasized that, sometimes, high-risk-high-reward does pay off. “If everyone is only going to continue to ask the same question…you’ll only have incremental steps forward,” she said.

Under the current federal funding climate, Chusyd noted that researchers across disciplines are closely monitoring evolving policies related to international collaborations. “As funding mechanisms continue to evolve, particularly those involving international research partnerships, investigators are working to understand new requirements and ensure compliance,” Chusyd said. “Because much of my research involves international field sites, I am paying close attention to how new guidance may shape proposal development moving forward. Like many researchers, we are adapting as policies become clearer.”

While her current projects remain funded, Chusyd has noted changes in the broader funding landscape. As a result, she is expanding her funding strategy to include private foundations and philanthropic support alongside federal grants, helping to maintain continuity in her research and training programs.

Professor Chusyd has received enormous institutional support for her research from her department at the Indiana University School of Public Health. “My department and school have been very supportive and committed to ensuring that my research program continues to advance,” she said. She also recently received funding support from Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, further strengthening the infrastructure supporting her work.

Chusyd—the first researcher to talk for ASIU’s “Science Out Loud!” speaker series at the Monroe County Public Library on January 31st, 2026—thinks that science should be presented in an approachable way to the public. “Most people aren’t going to Google Scholar or PubMed to read your scientific publications. Even if they do, the jargon and the language are probably not the way you’re trying to successfully get your information to the public,” Chusyd said. Her concerns rise amid an increasingly disjointed relationship between how a large portion of the population views science and the reality of scientific research.

“I think there’s tremendous value in helping people understand how research on elephants and other long-lived species contributes directly to advances in aging science and in cancer,” she said. “When people see how comparative biology informs human health, it becomes clear that this work has broad public benefit. Comparative research, whether in whales, naked mole rats, or elephants, helps us uncover biological strategies that evolution has already tested,” she said. “By studying these long-lived species, we gain insight into aging, cancer resistance, and resilience in ways that traditional models alone can’t provide.”