Faculty

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.

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.

Development of statistical methods and computational algorithms for quantitative and statistical genetics, including genomic prediction and genome-wide association studies. Development of software tools for whole-genome analyses. Statistical models for –omic data.

My research focus is on the husbandry, behavior, and welfare of small to large scale poultry production. I am particularly interested in understanding the challenges facing small scale and backyard poultry flocks as well as the impacts of housing systems on poultry health and welfare on large scale facilities. I am also interested in developing on farm assessment tools for producers to monitor the health and welfare of their own flocks.