Email:
lfavetta@uoguelph.ca
Website links:
Laura Favetta
Program
About My Research…
My research focuses on understanding how toxicants affect the oocyte quality and the very early stages of embryo development. In more detail, we investigate the effect of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds, such as BPA, oxidative stressors and toxic chemicals, such as THC, on gene expression and molecular mechanisms regulating early embryonic development and cell proliferation/arrest.
How Will Your Research Improve Life?
Decreasing fertility is a growing factor both in humans and farm animals. In dairy cattle, fertility is as low as 35% with the majority of embryo loss occurring within the first three weeks of development. Same trend in humans, with a recent study showing that 15% of Canadians struggle with infertility. Although the advance in reproductive biotechnologies is striking, the overall fertility is declining due to multiple environmental and social factors. The research that we conduct in my laboratory aims to understand the causes of infertility at the gene level and pinpoint the mechanisms through which toxicants affect fertility both in humans and farm animals. Understanding how things happen will help in finding ways of overcoming it.
Why Choose UofG for graduate studies?
The translational approach is one of the major strength of the research ongoing in the Biomedical Sciences program at Guelph. This approach benefits students that wish to pursue careers both in the human medicine and veterinary field. We have strong research groups in the areas of reproductive biology, toxicology, neuroscience, cardiovascular medicine, regenerative medicine, and cancer. Students pursuing a graduate program at Guelph have been successful in a variety of different fields.