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Gisela Erf has had a distinguished research career in basic and applied avian physiology. Among her research achievements in poultry included the following:• The role of maternally derived immunoglobulins • Relationships between genetics and stressors on the immune system • Improving poultry health by immunomodulators.Wayne Kuezel spent sabbaticals at the Roslin Institute (Scotland), Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany) and Nanjing Agricultural University (China). During these, he gained from immersive collaboration catalyzing his overall research career going from strength to strength. Among the stellar contributions of Wayne Kuezel are the following:• The development of a stereotaxis atlas for the chicken's brain.• The distribution of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) containing neurons and fibers in the avian brain. Zehava Uni has an outstanding record of achievement in avian physiology. Her research can be classified as comprehensive and impactful.• Development of the gastro-intestinal tract of chickens • In ovo feeding in chickens and how in ovo feeding influences the proliferation, differentiation and maturation of epithelial cells in the small intestine • The molecular basis of taste.In 1955, U.S. Air Force Major General Frederick C. Blesse stated "No Guts, No glory". This adage became one of Zehava Uni's principles for a successful researcher. She also included the importance of resilience to adversity, flexibility and following "your true passion". Sandra Velleman's interest in science was fostered from a very young age by her mother. One teacher recognized her research skills at a time of life when she was not even sure what a research scientist was. We are fortunate that she went on to an exemplary research career. Throughout her career, Sandy Velleman's guiding predisposition was that extracellular matrix is a critical important component in non-connective tissues including muscle despite the then paradigm that extracellular matrix was not. She took the "risk" to challenge the prevailing paradigm. Her laboratory was the first to demonstrated that satellite cells produce extracellular matrix proteoglycans using chicken breast muscle satellite cells. Sandy Velleman has a series of other land-mark achievements, namely, the following: 1. satellite cells are heterogeneous; 2. muscle development of muscle and consequently meat is influenced by extrinsic conditions (temperature and nutrition) and 3. maternal inheritance of aspects of muscle morphology.There are some common themes from the papers and the distinguished avian physiologists. These include the following:• The importance of mentors, collaborators and others providing the stimulus for research direction and the development of research programs. • The importance of passion and willingness to challenge prevailing paradigms and/or develop a focuses research program(s). • Collaborators and collaboration play a pivot role in research in avian physiology.A common theme is the role of mentors. Examples of the sway of mentors include the late Paul Harrison (University of Illinois) for Walter Bottje and both Robert Etches and Robert Marsh for Gisela Erf. Turning to collaboration, the partnership between Sandy Velleman and Douglas McFarland was very fruitful building on the strengths of both researchers. Another example of close, successful and ongoing collaboration is that between Krystyna Pierzchała-Koziec and Colin Scanes on stress and opioid peptides. Walter Bottje highlights the effect of a single discussion with Robert Wideman. Research lives have been changed by people and environments. It is interesting to note that three of the contributions come from the University of Arkansas, Center of Excellence in Poultry Science.There are two quotations that provide insight into to the role of luck in research "Give me lucky generals" and what is a pertinent rejoinder "I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it"; these being attributed, albeit falsely or at least without supporting evidence, to respectively to Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) and Thomas Jefferson (1743Jefferson ( -1826)). We are left with the statement from Louis Pasteur stated that "In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind" in 1854 (Leonard, 2013).