Plenary Lecture: Shuhong Zhao - "Integrated Omics to Understand Muscle Growth and Feed Efficiency in the Pig"
Vice Dean, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, CHINA
Dr Shuhong Zhao completed her Ph.D in animal genetics and breeding in 1998 at Northeast Agricultural University. She worked as a posdoc in Iowa State University (2001-2005), and visiting professor (2011-2012) at Cornell University under the Tang-Cornell scholarship award.
Currently, Dr. Zhao is a professor and heads one of the biggest teams in porcine molecular genetics in China. Her research has spanned several areas, including muscle development, lean growth efficiency, and identification of cross-talk genes for muscle growth and immunity traits. She has conducted pioneering work in porcine functional genomics. Her group developed a whole genome microRNA prediction software package and published the first paper on miRNA transcriptome and possible pathways in porcine fetal muscle development. Her group also identified a number of genes and miRNAs that regulating lean growth / feed conversion efficiency. Her work led to the identification of a number of SNPs in genes that were found to be associated with meat production traits. Through collaboration with breeding companies, her group is trying to use their research results in breeding programs, and has contributed to the progress of porcine molecular biology and its application in breeding practice.
The long-term goal of her research is improving meat production efficiency. Dr. Zhao is recognized as an international expert in her field, exemplified by her invitation to Co-Chair of the PAG conference organizing committee (2009-2011), and brainstorming session with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Time: 9:00 AM-9:45 AM