Research Interests Functional genomics with an emphasis on optimizing intestinal function to promote animal health and productivity. Our laboratory is focused on using comparative genomics to study animal health and development across species. Ongoing studies include a functional nutritional genomics project in collaboration with Professor George Fahey. This model is exploring the changes in gene expression during growth in young dogs compared to aged animals on different diets. These studies are designed to identify pathways that lead to wellness in aged animals and how through nutritional intervention diseases of aged animals can be avoided or ameliorated. Our efforts also address the interaction of animal health and nutrition. We are establishing in vitro gastrointestinal epithelial systems as technology platforms to study changes in gene expression during responses to pathogens. Finally, another major focus in our program is to develop animal models based on functional genomics to study mucosal development. In collaboration with Professor Rex Gaskins, of the Department of Animal Sciences, we are developing artificial intestinal crypts using microtechnolgy and laser capture micrscopy to explore gene expression of individual cells as they differentiate from the crypt stem cells. This will allow us to identify regulatory signals from nutritional sources and endogenous microbiota promoting epithelial differentiation.