Sofia Ortega, assistant professor of reproductive physiology in Animal Sciences, has recently been recognized as the AGEAP USA Alumni of the Month. Ortega’s interest in reproductive physiology began at Zamorano (Class of 2003), through her work in Honduras. She received her MS in Animal Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and she completed her PhD at the University of Florida in 2016 in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Her CAFNR team utilizes a systems biology approach to optimize cattle fertility, using CRISPR knockouts to study preimplantation bovine embryo development. Ortega has published more than 17 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals in reproductive biology. She also contributes to the advancement of animal and reproductive sciences, serving as an Associate Editor of the CABI Agriculture and Bioscience Journal, as well as a reviewer for eight scientific journals and through numerous national and international speaking engagements.