A STATEMENT OF RESEARCH

My research interests include the investigation of factors affecting global poultry industry survival; conditions of heat stress and energetics in modern and local poultry strains; embryogenesis, implications of light color in affecting hatching and chick quality, embryo metabolism, and implications on hatching egg performance and welfare of hatchlings; incubation effects on post-hatch chick quality; vertical and longitudinal microbial infections from breeders to hatching eggs to day-old chicks and during grow-out; microbiota, their numbers, genes, and protein synthesis and their manipulation through nutritional and management practices for better physiological adaptation to diseases; characterization of genes linked with different poultry genetic strains adaptability to heat stress and diseases; molecular mechanisms of embryo survival; and identification of functional genes in poultry embryos linked to embryo viability.

In the next five years, I plan to champion strong industry-driven research to explore nutrition supplementation during embryogenesis and its impact on the favorable establishment of gut microflora for increased broiler growth. And also understand male reproductive infertility backgrounds using the chicken through various molecular, physiological, and nutritional supplementations that increase sperm and DNA viability. I will work with researchers in the field of classical microbiology and molecular science to characterize the chicken’s gut microorganisms and understand their process of protein synthesis to increase animal health with less or no use of antibiotics. I desire to attract bigger research funding through grant submission and build a strong research chair in poultry embryology, physiology, nutrition, and immunology to respond positively to feed and incubation practices.