Academic focus: Microbiology of anaerobes in animal and environmental systems
Research summary: My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which microbes interact with their symbiotic hosts and environments, with the goal of developing microbiome-based strategies to improve livestock sustainability. I am particularly interested in ruminants such as dairy cattle, which harbor complex anaerobic microbial ecosystems in the rumen that convert plant biomass into nutrients that support milk production. My lab uses cutting-edge DNA and RNA sequencing approaches, including shotgun metagenomics and dual RNA sequencing, to characterize microbial activity at high resolution. Ultimately, this work aims to improve nutrient-use efficiency, enhance dairy cattle productivity, and reduce methane emissions and environmental impacts of livestock production.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I enjoy spending time outdoors, playing tennis, fishing, traveling and exploring new places. I also enjoy homemade foods, cheese, and tasting coffee and wine, as well as visiting regions where they are grown. Music and sports are two other passions, and I enjoy discovering new artists and attending live music and sporting events. Most of all, I love spending time with family and friends, and I deeply enjoy helping people and contributing to the community around me in any way I can.
What brought you to Cornell CALS?
The Department of Animal Science at Cornell offers a unique environment that brings together pioneering research in animal science and microbiology, particularly at their intersection in ruminant nutrition, an interdisciplinary field integrating animal physiology and rumen microbiology. Given my passion for this area, CALS’ moonshot initiative and its commitment to advancing sustainable livestock systems made this an exciting opportunity to further develop my research while helping address a major global challenge in food production. I was also drawn to the opportunity to teach rumen microbiology and emerging advances in host–microbiome research, and mentor students in applying these technologies in their research.
What is an interesting fact about your field of study that you think everyone should know?
I find it fascinating how ruminants such as cows depend entirely on foregut microbes to digest the plant material they eat. Without this microbial community, they would not convert grass and other feedstuffs into milk and other products we rely on. Humans rarely consume or digest byproducts that comprise the main diet of these animals because we lack foregut compartments and microbes that harvest these nutrients for them. Given that a major portion of greenhouse gases and nitrogenous waste from livestock comes from these microbes, optimizing their activity is key to improving food supply and livestock environmental sustainability.
