Faculty

Equine genetics and genomics; camelid genetics and genomics.

Enhancing the nutritional and health value of animal-sourced foods for human consumption; Developing nutritional and management strategies to enhance the level of bioactive nutrients in animal-sourced foods; Examining health effects of functional/nutritionally enhanced animal-sourced foods using cell culture, animal models and clinical trials; Studying how animal-sourced foods foster human health (i.e. prevent chronic diseases and nutrient deficiencies), and their role in food security.

Research interests are focused in three major areas: 1) Using "traditional" epidemiological techniques and GIS and spatial statistics to understand how avian diseases move in time and space. 2) Using Next Generation Sequencing technology to gain insights into the virulence and survivability of pathogens including Salmonella and Campylobacter. 3) Gaining a better understanding of 'micro'-commercial (i.e. small scale poultry production) with respect to environmental sustainability, poultry health, and food safety.

Applying genetic and genomic techniques to answer ecological or evolutionary questions about wild populations, conservation of threatened and endangered species, genetic management of conservation and commercial aquaculture, animal polyploidy.

Improving nutrition of ruminant livestock through study of microbes of the rumen; increasing supply of microbial protein available to animal digestion; discovering biochemical pathways that microbes use to ferment carbohydrates in feed.

Social science and animal agriculture; policy, programs, and attitudes on animal agriculture from production through consumption; animal agriculture and climate change; animal welfare.

Food Animal Herd Health & Reproduction; Epidemiology; Antimicrobial Resistance.

Neuroendocrine regulation of feeding behavior, body weight and glucose control; Mechanisms linking psychological stress and metabolic disease

Improving equine management, behavior and welfare with a specific interest in donkeys, mules, hinnies and working equids in developing countries.

The driving force in my current research program is to be at the forefront of environmental and production sustainability and ecological integrity. To achieve this vision my research is focused into three distinct, yet overlapping applied research themes; (1) Aquaculture, (2) Invasion Biology and (3) Environmental/Ecological Toxicology. This research usually addresses data gaps and provides scientific solutions, determined through rigorous experimentation, meeting the immediate biological and engineering needs of the aquaculture industry and natural resource community.