Animal models for human metabolism, nutrition and health

Animal Models for human metabolism, nutrition and heath research

This research theme focuses on the use of alternative animal models for studying human health and physiology. Research areas include:

Using animal models for human health and disease, nutrition, and toxicology research, and functional food development.

  • Pigs as a relevant model for studying basic animal biology, human health, nutrition, functional foods and toxicity studies
  • Rainbow trout as a sensitive model to determine the mechanism of toxicity (and/or resistance) of mycotoxins.

Evaluating the health consequences of consuming animal products using animal models.

  • Strategies to enrich milk proteins with Se by manipulating the diet of dairy cows, and then studying the consequences, in rodent models of cancer and diabetes, of consuming the Se-enriched milk proteins

Stem cell research using comparative animal models.

  • The study of germ cell potential of skin-derived stem cells and the factors involved in the induction of differentiation.

Understanding the impact of environment and early life experience on the neuroendocrine-immune development using comparative animal models.

  • Sheep as a developmental model to evaluate the effects of early life stress on the developmental neuroendocrine and immune systems.
  • Ruminant models to study genetic susceptibility to stress-associated and inflammatory diseases.
  • Animal models for understanding the effects of environment and early experience on behavioural development and brain function