Being the first largest producer and the second largest exporter of chickens, the U.S. poultry industry supports the livelihoods and food security of billions of people worldwide. However, it is facing several challenges from a steep projected increase (almost the double) in global demand for meat and egg and the need to adapt to environmental constraints, particularly heat stress which is intensified by climate changes, and the increasing pressure on natural resource (water, land, and energy) availability.

In addition, although poultry genetic selection for high growth rate and muscle development has made spectacular progress, there is however, a number of undesirable consequences including increased incidence of muscle myopathies (woody breast, white striping), lameness, hyperphagy, fat deposition, and susceptibility to heat stress.

My laboratory is particularly interested in using integrative physiologic studies and Top-down/Bottom-up molecular and pluridisciplinary approaches to understand the mechanisms involved in: 1) heat stress response, 2) the progression of metabolic disorders mainly woody breast and lameness, and 3) the regulation of energy homeostasis and fat metabolism in avian species.

My long term goal is to identify new molecular signatures and bring both fundamental understanding, as well as effective practical solutions to ongoing problems for poultry well-being and production sustainability.