The 2025 Junior Animal Science Symposium took place at the Campus Farm on March 29th and one of the features for the Horse Species Section was the theme of “Barn and Farm Management.”
Graduate Program in Endocrinology & Animal Biosciences
A Comprehensive Curriculum
Our curriculum is full and comprehensive, drawn in part from the diverse and extensive courses offered by the many other biological programs university wide. Major areas of interest include endocrinology of growth, lactation & reproduction; gastrointestinal health & obesity; neurobiology of reproduction, energy balance, stress, motivation, addiction & mood; endocrine disruption &d toxicology; and equine science & exercise physiology.
Degree Programs:
An Interdisciplinary Faculty
In addition to Animal Sciences, or faculty comes from a wide range of departments throughout the university, including Nutritional Sciences, Food Science, Genetics, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Pediatrics.
State-of-the-Art Research Facilities
Our research laboratories are well equipped for contemporary research in integrative animal physiology, equine exercise physiology, and endocrinology, at the whole animal, cellular, and molecular levels of organization.
Our core facility provides instrumentation that supports bio-imaging, bio-sensing, flow cytometry, real-time PCR, and high throughput screening. Other university core facilities are available to meet research needs for genomics, proteomics, and specialized microscopy.
We have approximately 150,000 square feet of indoor space in 25 buildings available to us, ranging from an environmentally controlled laboratory animal facility to traditional barns that house large animals on the Cook Campus Research Farm.
For More Information
Inquiries about admission requirements and financial aid may be made to the Graduate Program Director or Graduate Program Coordinator.
Carey A. Williams
Bartlett Hall, Room 213AB
Stacey Pontoriero
Bartlett Hall, Room 105
Diversity Statement
A diverse student body which fosters inclusivity and respects the backgrounds of all students is paramount to driving intellectual growth and open dialogue. Our goal is to encourage and create a safe, positive, and inclusive environment in which our graduate community members thrive by being given equal access to opportunities for advancement to reach their personal and career goals.
We strongly believe that great science happens when each team member feels welcomed and encouraged to bring their true authentic selves to the lab. Innovation occurs when we maximize our creative potential; scientific discoveries occur when we think critically. These advances are catalyzed by collaboration between individuals with diverse experiences and ways of thinking.
These diverse experiences include age, disability status, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, geographic region, language, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and more.
To this end, we ensure equal opportunity and access to our program for scientific scholars of all personal backgrounds. We are not only committed to our graduate program's continual improvement in diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also to humanity. As such, the Graduate Program in Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences program encourages both undergraduate and graduate scholars from communities underrepresented in STEM to apply, especially individuals from the Black/African American, Latinx, Native American/Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and disabled communities.
Graduate Program News
Nimisha Nandankar (Roepke lab, May 2025) successfully defended her doctorate, with her seminar titled “Elucidating the Role of KNDy Neuron Kisspeptin in GnRH Pulsatility and Metabolic Homeostasis,” on March 14, 2025.
Kuhelika Mali has received a highly competitive Research & Conference Travel Award from the School of Graduate Studies for 2024-2025.