What are your job duties/job responsibilities in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources?

I am an associate professor in the Division of Animal Science. I have a majority research appointment. Therefore, the majority of time and effort is devoted for research, which is to utilize genetic engineering tools to address critical priorities of agricultural and medicine. Specifically, from an agricultural context, we are utilizing cutting-edge genome editing tools to generate disease-resistant animals and improving performance of animals with the goal of improving sustainable agriculture. From a biomedical perspective, we are focused on generating custom animal models of disease for developing treatments for intractable human disease. I also teach physiology and reproductive biology to undergraduate and graduate students, respectively.

How long have you worked in CAFNR?

I joined in January 2021.

What do you enjoy about working for CAFNR/Mizzou?

I am an alumnus of CAFNR/Mizzou. I obtained my PhD degree in Animal Sciences and underwent postdoctoral training in the Life Sciences Center. Following a stint as an assistant and associate professor at University of Maryland-College Park, I had the opportunity to come back to Mizzou. I was excited to come back, knowing that Mizzou is a great place to work. Mizzou offers world-class infrastructure and many opportunities for collaboration. Faculty at Mizzou are extremely collaborative. The leadership has a clear vision and are supportive of faculty. Overall, I feel like the environment at Mizzou is conducive to research. Case-in-point, our research program has benefited a great deal after relocating to Mizzou and have had the opportunities to venture into new fields of research.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I don’t have much free time, but I make it a priority to spend quality time with my family. This includes playing board games, taking the kids to their music lessons, watching movies, and going on vacations.

What is something your co-workers/other CAFNR employees don’t know about you?

I am an avid biker and am a martial arts enthusiast. I am taking karate lessons, which is helping me with physical and emotional conditioning.