The Skibiel Lab

Research in my lab generally falls within three main foci, 1) mammary physiology, specifically the metabolic adaptations that enable milk synthesis and secretion, 2) Programming of offspring physiology and performance through early life experiences, including the intrauterine environment and postnatal conditions, and 3) Physiological responses and health and production outcomes associated with environmental stressors, including heat stress and poor air quality. These topics are studied across multiple levels of biological organization (molecular and cellular to organismal) and both within an evolutionary framework and from an animal production standpoint. My research approach is integrative, employing a variety of methods including field studies, traditional laboratory assays, and high throughput sequencing technologies, and involving a range of mammalian species, from small rodents to dairy cattle. We aim to use the knowledge gained through our research to improve animal health and farm resilience and profitabilty. As such, we recently created a multi-collaborator managed online portal of resources related to livestock and air pollution from wildfires