Melissa Merrill

Bio

Dr. Melissa Merrill spends most of her time as associate department head and director of undergraduate programs in Animal Science. She teaches ANS/HS 215 Agricultural Genetics and ANS 290 Professional Development for Animal Science Careers.

Her past research has involved using genomic tools to study quantitative trait loci and genes affecting production, health, drug metabolism, and reproduction in livestock species, primarily cattle and swine.

Publications

• Career Crossroads: Evaluating changes in Animal Science career plans after a food animal research experience , JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE (2025)
• Agricultural Genetics , (2020)
• Physiological response, function of sweat glands, and hair follicle cycling in cattle in response to fescue toxicosis and hair genotype , Journal of Animal Science (2020)
• miRNAs explain the variation in muscle and blood transcriptomes of beef calves born from dams with or without energy restriction during late gestation , JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE (2020)
• Articular cartilage gene expression patterns in the tissue surrounding the impact site following applications of shear and axial loads , BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2018)
• Characterization of gene expression in naturally occurring feline degenerative joint disease-associated pain , The Veterinary Journal (2018)
• Effect of energy restriction during late gestation in the skeletal muscle and blood transcriptome of Angus calves after preconditioning , Proceedings of the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (2018)
• Genetic Parameter Estimates for Metabolizing Two Common Pharmaceuticals in Swine , Frontiers in Genetics (2018)
• Impact of energy restriction during late gestation on the muscle and blood transcriptome of beef calves after preconditioning , BMC Genomics (2018)
• Gene co-expression network analysis identifies porcine genes associated with variation in metabolizing fenbendazole and flunixin meglumine in the liver , Scientific Reports (2017)

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