Dr. John Bruce German
Professor & Director
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis
Foods for Health Institute
Ph.D. in Food Chemistry, Cornell University
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. German is a distinguished professor and Director of the Foods for Health Institute at UC Davis. His research focuses on understanding how foods can improve health, using milk as a model due to its evolutionary purpose of nourishing growing mammals. He explores the physical, functional, and nutritional properties of food components, with particular interest in personalized nutrition and early life nutrition's impact on infant development and long-term health.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Director of Foods for Health Institute
- Expert in human milk glycobiome
- Pioneer in personalized nutrition research
- Extensive publications in peer-reviewed journals
Dr. Sabine Mann
Associate Professor
Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University
Ambulatory and Production Medicine
DVM (Hannover), Veterinary Doctorate (LMU Munich), PhD (Cornell)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Mann is an Associate Professor specializing in the intersection of metabolism, nutrition, and immunology. Her research focuses on nutritional strategies and interventions to improve host resilience in newborn calves and postpartum cows, with expertise in transition cow nutrition, physiology, and epidemiology.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Expert in transition cow nutrition and physiology
- Research focus on metabolism-nutrition-immunology intersection
- International education background
- Specialist in host resilience strategies
Dr. Nilusha Malmuthuge
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Malmuthuge is a leading researcher in calf gut microbiome and health, focusing on developing enhanced early-life programs for calves to improve long-term health and productivity. She developed an innovative animal model to study host-microbe interactions in neonates and continues to shape how early-life microbiome interventions can drive healthier, more resilient livestock.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Pioneer in calf gut microbiome research
- Developer of innovative neonatal animal models
- Expert in host-microbe interactions
- Leader in early-life microbiome interventions
Dr. Russ Hovey
Professor
Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis
B.Ag.Sci (First Class Honors, University of Queensland), PhD (Massey University)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Hovey's research focuses on the regulation of mammary gland growth and lactation, comparing these processes across species. His work aims to enhance and modify milk production composition and reduce breast cancer risk. He teaches over 400 students annually in Introductory Animal Science and over 100 in Lactation Physiology.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Expert in mammary gland growth and lactation
- Cross-species comparative research
- Funded by USDA, NIH, and Department of Defense
- Educator to 500+ students annually
Dr. Chantal Farmer
Professor
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Farmer is a world-renowned scientist working in sow lactation biology. Her research goal has always been to improve sow milk yield and performance of suckling piglets. She was a pioneer in studying mammary development in gilts and her work focuses on the impacts of hormones, management and nutrition in this crucial process. Dr. Farmer is the sole editor of two books on gestating and lactating sow, and suckling and weaned piglets, which were also translated and published in Chinese.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Expert in sow lactation
- Pioneer in the study of mammary development in swine
- International recognition as guest-speaker
- 175 scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals
Dr. Marta González-Cabrera
Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Animal Production, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. González-Cabrera is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Animal Production at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain). Her research focuses on the physiological, nutritional, and immunological mechanisms that shape colostrum quality and neonatal health in small ruminants, with an emphasis on dairy goats as a translational model for maternal–neonatal health.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Research focus on mammary gland physiology
- Prepartum nutritional strategies
- Experienced in animal welfare assessment in small ruminants
- International education background
Dr. Stephanie Langel
Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Stephanie Langel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on mucosal immunology and maternal-infant immunity, particularly how antibodies—especially those transferred through breast milk—protect newborns from viral infections. She previously completed her Ph.D. in Virology and Immunology at The Ohio State University and postdoctoral training at Duke University’s Human Vaccine Institute, where she studied mucosal vaccine strategies against viral infections.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Expert in maternal and mucosal immunology
- Recipient of multiple awards and fellowships in immunology and virology
- Research advancing maternal vaccination to increase breast milk antibodies and neonatal immune protection
Dr. Josef Gross
Professor
Department of Veterinary Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Josef Gross is Professor and head of the Veterinary Physiology group at the University of Bern, Switzerland. He received his PhD from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, in 2011. His research primarily focuses on the impact of nutrition on the adaptive physiology of transition dairy cows and neonatal calves. His work addresses animal-related factors influencing variation in colostrum composition in farm animals, as well as the role of individual nutrients and metabolites in the endocrine regulation of energy metabolism, periparturient blood–milk barrier formation, and mammary immune responsiveness.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Head of the Veterinary Physiology group at the University of Bern
- Expert in nutrition-driven adaptive physiology of dairy cows and calves
- Research linking metabolism, colostrum quality, and mammary immunity
Dr. Caitlin Vonderohe
Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Caitlin Vonderohe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her PhD and DVM at Purdue University, followed by postdoctoral research in pediatric nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine. Her research program focuses on developmental and inflammatory conditions affecting preterm infants, using preterm neonatal piglet models alongside translational cell culture approaches. She integrates her training as a veterinarian and animal scientist to develop preclinical models for studying nutritional, surgical, and pharmaceutical interventions in pediatric health.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Dual training as veterinarian and animal scientist
- Leader in translational models for preterm infant research
- Research advancing nutritional and therapeutic strategies in pediatrics