Profile

The overall focus of my research has been to elucidate the physiological basis for nutritional variation in growth, development and lactation. In this context I have carried out a long series of investigations aimed at clarifying the physiological basis for variation in mammary development in heifers, cows and sows. Initially the studies mainly focused on the involvement of the GH-IGF-I axis, but we have also investigated the role of the ovaries, and more recently the role of several other growth factors, including TGF-beta and leptin. Other areas of research include hormonal regulation of growth, development and meat quality, endocrine predictors of genetic merit and the biology of lactation persistency. Recently, we have conducted studies on the effect of bioactive components (growth factors, CLA and phyto-estrogens) in milk both in relation to their effects in the offspring, in the mammary gland and on human health.