Victoria Asselstine Position/Title: Post-Doctoral Researcher email: vasselst@uoguelph.ca Phone: Office: ANNU 110A Google Scholar Research Gate LinkedIn

Victoria is a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Animal Biosciences, working for Dr. Angela Cánovas. 

Victoria's graduate research (M.Sc 2018; Ph.D. 2021) used OMICs technologies, specifically transcriptomics (RNA-Sequencing) to understand the functional genetics influencing phenotypic differences between animals. Specifically, Victoria looked at differences in the host transcriptome of healthy and mastitic udder quarters from Holstein dairy cows. She characterized genetic differences between the udder quarters which could make the animal more resistant to mastitis. The research outcomes of her work can be incorporated into breeding practices, enabling producers to maintain herd health and decrease treatment costs for mastitis. 

Victoria is now working on a variety of OMICs projects associated with immune response, health and feed efficiency in ruminants. 

In her free time, she loves hiking with her daughter, husband and dogs.

Peer - Reviewed Publications

Asselstine, V., J. F. Medrano, and A. Cánovas. 2022. Identification of novel alternative splicing with mastitis disease in Holstein dairy cows using large gap read mapping. BMC Genomics. 23(1):222. https://doi:10.1186/s12864-022-08430-x.

Asselstine, V., S. Lam, F. Miglior, L. F. Brito, H. Sweett, L. Guan, S. M. Waters, G. Plastow, and A. Cánovas. 2022.  Invited review: The Potential for mitigation of methane emissions in ruminants through the application of metagenomics, metabolomics, and other -OMICS technologies. Journal of Animal Science. 99(10):1-16. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab193.

Asselstine, V., F. Miglior, P.A.S. Fonseca, A. Suárez-Vega, B. Mallard, N. Karrow, A. Islas-Trejo, J. F. Medrano, A. Cánovas. 2019. Genetic mechanisms associated with host defense to mastitis. Journal of Dairy Science. J. Dairy Sci. 102(10):9043-9059. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-16504.

Kaufman, E., V. Asselstine, S. Leblanc, T. Duffield, and T. DeVries. 2017. Association of rumination time and health status with milk yield and composition in early lactation dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science. 101(1):462-471. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-12909