The Skibiel Lab

Research in my lab generally falls within three main foci, 1) mammary physiology, metabolic adaptations to support lactation, and milk synthesis, 2) Programming of offspring physiology and performance through early life experiences, including the intrauterine environment experienced during fetal development and the bioactive and nutritive factors consumed through colostrum and milk, and 3) Causes and consequences of variation in maternal investment, particularly with respect to offspring growth and performance and life history tradeoffs. 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.