Emma Helm
3170 Litton-Reaves Hall
175 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
The goal of my research program is to better understand the biological mechanisms that define animal physiology and nutrient utilization in pigs. This primarily includes investigating how epithelial barrier integrity, mucus production, and intestinal nutrient transport are altered during early life development or during stress challenges and the molecular signaling factors underlying these events. This involves using animal challenge models to contextualize the impact of disease on indices of production, ex vivo approaches to evaluate modifications to intestinal physiology, and molecular approaches to determine the impact of disease on structural components and signaling pathways. This work also aims to understand the ability of nutritional factors to restore these physiologies to that of a healthy animal. Additionally, I am interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying reductions in feed intake in health challenged or stressed animals, and how we can best optimize feed intake to balance growth and survivability from these events. Broadly, outcomes from my experimental approaches are designed to develop targeted nutritional or pharmacological prevention and mitigation strategies aimed at improving growth and well-being of poor health animals.
- APSC 1454 Introduction to Animal and Poultry Sciences
- APSC 1464 Introduction to Animal and Poultry Science Laboratory
- APSC 4444 Swine Production
- Ph.D., Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2020
- M.S., Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2018
- B.S. Animal and Poultry Sciences, Blacksburg, VA, 2016
Year |
Award |
|
| 2021 | Iowa State University COVID-19 Graduate Student Research Excellence Award | |
2020 |
Harold L. and Esther G. Wilcke Scholarship |
|
2020 |
Iowa Farm Bureau Graduate Fellow |
|
2019 |
Iowa State University Graduate Research Excellence Award |
|
2019 |
Targeting Excellence Scholarship |
|
2019 |
Iowa Farm Bureau Graduate Fellow |
|
2019 |
Arthur and Muriel Anderson Graduate Scholarship |
|
2018 |
1st place ASAS Midwest Oral Presentation - M.S. division |
|
2018 |
Digestive Physiology of Pigs International Travel Grant Award |
|
2018 |
Vaughn and Meg Speer Graduate Travel Scholarship |
|
2018 |
Iowa Farm Bureau Graduate Fellow |
|
2018 |
Harold L. and Esther G. Wilcke Scholarship |
|
2016 |
Iowa State Association of Graduate Animal Scientists (2016 - present) |
|
|
Fundraising chair (2017-2019) |
|
2016 |
Iowa Pork Producers Association Graduate Recruitment Fellow |
|
2016 |
Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Outstanding Senior |
|
2016 |
Virginia Tech Animal and Poultry Sciences Outstanding Senior |
|
2016 |
Virginia Tech Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) Medallion Award |
|
2014 |
Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society |
|
|
Outstanding Junior Award (2014) |
|
2013 |
Virginia Tech Block and Bridle Club (2013-2016) |
|
|
Outstanding Senior Award Recipient (2016) |
|
|
Outstanding Junior Award Recipient (2015) |
|
|
Committee Chair - Little International livestock show (2015) |
Assistant Professor, Animal Biosciences Research, School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2021- present
Postdoctoral Researcher, Iowa State Department of Animal Science, Ames, IA, 2020 - 2021
Graduate Research Assistant, Iowa State Department of Animal Science, Ames, IA, 2016 - 2020
Fralin Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, Summer 2015
Undergraduate Research, Virginia Tech Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Blacksburg, VA, 2014-2016
Youth Livestock Extension Assistant, Virginia Tech Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Blacksburg, VA, 2014-2016
Extension Intern, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Blacksburg, VA, Summer 2014
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Bio Item
Alyshia Talmage , bioPh.D. Student