Promotion of dairy cattle health, production, efficiency, and welfare not only contributes to economic viability of the dairy production sector, but also provides benefits to the consumers of milk products. These benefits include environmental sustainability, maintenance of milk nutritional quality and safety, as well as assurance that milk is sourced from animals that have been raised humanely.
My research focuses primarily on the genetic regulation of innate immunity in animals, with a particular focus on innate immune pattern recognition proteins.
We are interested in structure-function relationships of enzymes and enzyme evolution. We are studying steroid degrading enzymes from the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other related bacteria. We are also interested in enzymes that can be used to detoxify environmental pollutants.
The central research goal of my research is to examine the concept of resiliency and sustainability within the context of resource-based communities to address the often problematic relationship(s) between resource reliance, community well-being, and adaptive capacity.
My research attempts to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of pork production in Ontario and Canada, to support a vibrant and diverse industry that employees many people, which ultimately provides high-quality, safe, and affordable pork for us to eat.
