USDA-ARS-NCCCWA

11861 Leetown Road

Kearneysville, WV 25430

Voice: (304) 724-8340 x2134

Professional Biographical Information:

2008 – Present    Lead Scientist, Genomics Unit, NCCCWA-ARS-USDA

2001 – Present    Research Geneticist, NCCCWA-ARS-USDA

2000 - 2001        Research Associate, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA

1999 – 2000       Visiting Lecturer, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

1998 – 1999       Postdoctoral Fellow, Agricultural Research Organization, Beit-Dagan, Israel

1994 - 1997        Ph.D., Genetics & Cell Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

1992 - 1994        M.Sc., Genetics & Cell Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

1988 - 1991          B.Sc., Agricultural Economics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

Professional Societies

·         American Fisheries Society (2003 - present)

·         World Aquaculture Society (2006 – present)

·         Associate Member Trout Farmers Association (2008 – present)

·         National Research Support Project 8 of the USDA-CSREES National Animal Genome Research Program: (a) Chair Elect 2007 and Chair 2008 of the 2-day Aquaculture Genome Workshop at the International Plant & Animal Genome Conference; and (b) Salmonid Species Coordinator for the Aquaculture Genome Group (2007 – present).

Adjunct Faculty positions

·         Division of Forestry, Davis college of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Science, West Virginia University (2002 – present).

·         Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2005- present).

CV - PDF

Description of Research Rationale and Focus:

The demand for seafood is increasing worldwide while there is new restriction on capture fisheries harvest.  To meet increasing consumer demand, U.S. aquaculture producers require improved efficiencies and sustainable practices while maintaining and improving product quality.  The application of genomic technologies towards the genetic improvement of aquaculture species is expected to facilitate selective breeding and provide basic information on the biochemical mechanisms controlling traits of interest.  In collaboration with U.S. and international scientists, we have developed a suite of genome tools and reagents for rainbow trout to identify and characterize genes affecting aquaculture production traits.  Projects concurrent with our previous 5-year project characterized the genetic variation of the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture (NCCCWA) broodstock with respect to resistance to Bacterial Cold Water Disease (BCWD) and response to crowding stress.  Specific crosses were identified that will facilitate the identification of chromosome regions and genes affecting these traits through genetic mapping and functional genomic approaches.  The current project will continue the genome scans of these crosses with new sets of markers to identify positional candidate genes affecting these traits.  This information is important to gain a better understanding of the genetics of disease resistance and production traits and for transferring genetic information and improved germplasm from the NCCCWA selective breeding program to customers and stakeholders.

Current research topics:

1.      Detect and fine map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to bacterial cold water disease in rainbow trout.

2.      Facilitate the identification of genes affecting production traits by producing a second generation bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) map which is anchored to the rainbow trout genetic map.

3.      Identify and characterize immune genes in rainbow trout.

4.      Develop and improve current DNA marker systems and methods for broodstock management and parentage assignment in rainbow trout.

5.      Study the genetic basis of cyprinid herpes virus-3 resistance in common carp.