Graduate Student
University of Nebraska Lincoln
POSITIONS
Undergraduate Research Assistant May 2021-May 2022
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Graduate Research Assistant May 2022- October 2023
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Research Technician III October 2023-Present
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Differences in heifer puberty attainment may predict future reproductive performance
Utilizing plasma progesterone concentrations taken weekly from weaning until breeding heifers can be classified into four pubertal classifications. To further explore what may lead to differences in the time of puberty attainment RNA from granulosa cells collected at the time of ovariectomy was analyzed for differentially expressed genes. Differences in Non-Cycling (delayed) puberty heifers and on time (Typical) puberty heifers may be explained in part by differentially expressed genes and canonical pathways. Additionally, we have genotyped the whole herd and conducted whole genome sequencing on 35 individuals. We have several Small Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP’s) that may describe some genetic variation. Our goal in identifying what causes differences in pubertal attainment to use our beef population to develop high-throughput methods to identify heifers that genetically may develop delayed or precocious puberty and select against them or determine ways to increase their reproductive efficiency to aid beef producers in profitability of their cow/calf operations.
PUBLICATIONS
1. Rudloff BE, Monaco C, Cupp, AS. Antral Follicles: Recruitment and Selection of Bovine Ovulatory Follicles. Encyclopedia of Reproduction, 3e. In preparation.
2. Abedal-Majed MA, Springman SA, Jafar HD, Bell BE, Kurz SG, Wilson KE, Cupp AS. Naturally occurring androgen excess cows are present in Dairy and Beef Herds and have similar characteristics to women with PCOS. J Anim Sci. 2022 Jun 1;100(6):skac151. doi: 10.1093/jas/skac151.
3. Abedal-Majed MA, Springman SA, Sutton CM, Snider AP, Bell BE, Hart M, Kurz SG, Bergman J, Summers AF, McFee RM, Davis JS, Wood JR, Cupp AS. VEGFA165 can rescue excess steroid secretion, inflammatory markers and follicle arrest in the ovarian cortex of high A4 cows. Biol Reprod. 2022 Jan 13;106(1):118-131. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioab201.