EDUCATION

1997    National Institutes of Health, NIAAA, Bethesda, MD       Fellow       Population & Stat Genetics

1993    North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC                    Ph.D.       Plant Breeding & Genetics

1983    Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru        M.S.         Plant Breeding & Statistics

1981    Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru        B.S.           Agronomy

ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

2005-             U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS, NCCCWA          Computational Biologist

2000-2004     Penn State University, State College, PA                     Assist. Prof. Genomics & Bioinf

1997-2000     National Institutes of Health, NIAAA, Bethesda, MD     Senior Res. Fellow Statist Genetics

1995-1997     U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS, ADOL                 Research Geneticist

1993-1994     University of Florida, IFAS, GCREC, Bradenton, FL      Postdoctoral Fellow

1990-1993     North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC                Research Assistant 

1983-1990     International Potato Center, Lima, Peru                        Associate Geneticist

HONORS & AWARDS

2010   Award for Outstanding Performance, USDA-ARS, NCCCWA

2010   Service Award for Reviews, ADSA Board of Directors and Editors, Journal of Dairy Science

2009   Award for Outstanding Performance, USDA-ARS, NCCCWA

2008   Service award for statistical genetics & functional genomics data analysis, USDA-ARS, NCCCWA

2007   Award for Outstanding Performance, USDA-ARS, NCCCWA

2006   Service award for statistical genetics & functional genomics data analysis, USDA-ARS, NCCCWA

2005   Service award for statistical genetics & functional genomics data analysis, USDA-ARS, NCCCWA

1996   Award for Outstanding Res QTL mapping for Marek’s disease, USDA-ARS, ADOL, E. Lansing, MI

1993   Excellence in Doctoral Research, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

1991   Honor Society Pi Alpha XI, Iota Chapter, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

1980   First Class Honors, B.S. Agronomy, Universidad Nacional Agraria, Lima, Peru

RESEARCH INTERESTS

·   Development of strategies & implementation of marker-assisted and genome-enabled selection in

   rainbow trout.

·   Design & simulation-based power analysis of QTL mapping and GWAS for complex traits in

    outbred populations.

·   Genome-wide linkage & association scan for QTL affecting complex traits in rainbow trout

   populations.

·   Transcriptome profiling using microarray and RNA-seq data and statistical analysis of gene

   expression data.

·   Bayesian methods of complex segregation analysis of complex traits in rainbow trout populations.

·   Genetic characterization and phylogenomics of rainbow trout populations using molecular and

    pedigree data.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

·   Statistical genetics & functional genomics data analysis for a rainbow trout molecular breeding program. National Center for Cool & Cold Water Aquaculture, ARS, USDA. Kearneysville, WV, 2005- to present.

·   Genetic basis of susceptibility to clinical mastitis in dairy cattle. Genomics & Bioinformatics

   Laboratory, Dept. D, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 2000-2004.

·   Genetic basis of vulnerability to alcoholism and related psychiatric disorders in Finnish families,

   Section on Population Genetics & Linkage, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD,

   1997-2000.

·   Genetic mapping of QTL affecting susceptibility to Marek’s disease in chickens, Avian Disease &

    Oncology Laboratory, ARS, USDA, East Lansing, MI, 1995-1997.

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (Last 5 years)

Rexroad III, CE, RL Vallejo, S Liu, Y Palti and GM Weber. 2012. QTL affecting stress response to

crowding in a rainbow trout broodstock population. BMC Genetics 13: 97.

Salem, M, RL Vallejo,TD Leeds, Y Palti, S Liu, A Sabbagh, CE Rexroad III, J Yao. 2012. RNA-Seq

Identifies SNP Markers for Growth Traits in Rainbow Trout. PLoS ONE 7(5): e36264.

Overturf, K, RL Vallejo, Y Palti, FT Barrows, JE Parsons. 2012. Microarray analysis of differential

utilization of plant-based diets by rainbow trout. Aquacult. Int. 20:213–232.

Palti, Y, C Genet, MC Luo, A Charlet, G Gao, Y Hu, C Castaño-Sánchez, K Tabet-Canale, F Krieg,

J Yao, RL Vallejo and CE Rexroad III. 2011.  A first generation integrated map of the rainbow trout

genome. BMC Genomics 12: 180.

Vallejo, RL, GD Wiens, CE Rexroad III, TJ Welch, JP Evenhuis, TD Leeds, LLG Janss, and Y Palti. 2010

Evidence of major genes affecting resistance to bacterial cold water disease in rainbow trout using

Bayesian methods of segregation analysis. J. Animal Sci. 88: 3814-3832.

Wiens, GD and RL Vallejo. 2010. Temporal and pathogen-load dependent changes in rainbow

 trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss) immune response traits following challenge with biotype 2 Yersinia

ruckeri.  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 29: 639-647.

Leeds, TD, JT Silverstein, GM Weber, RL Vallejo, Y Palti, CE Rexroad III, J Evenhuis, S Hadidi,

TJ Welch, and GDWiens. 2010. Response to selection for bacterial cold water disease resistance in

rainbow trout. J. Animal Sci. 88: 1936-1946.

Vallejo, RL, CE Rexroad III, JT Silverstein, LLG Janss and GM Weber. 2009. Evidence of major

 genes affecting stress response in rainbow trout using Bayesian methods of complex

segregation analysis. J. Animal Sci. 87: 3490-3505.

Rexroad III, CE and RL Vallejo. 2009. Estimates of Linkage Disequilibrium and Effective Population

Size in Rainbow Trout. BMC Genetics 10: 83.

Sanchez, CC, TPL Smith, RT Wiedmann, RL Vallejo, M Salem, J Yao and CE Rexroad III. 2009. Single

Nucleotide Polymorphism discovery in Rainbow Trout by deep sequencing of a reduced representation

 library. BMC Genomics 10: 559.

Palti, Y, MC Luo, Y Hu, C Genet, FM You, RL Vallejo, GH Thorgaard, PA Wheeler and CE Rexroad III.

2009. A first generation BAC-based physical map of the rainbow trout genome. BMC Genomics

10:462.

Rexroad III, C E, Y Palti, SA Gahr and R L Vallejo. 2008. A second generation genetic map for rainbow

trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). BMC Genetics 9: 74.

Weber, GM, RL Vallejo, SE Lankford, JT Silverstein, and TJ Welch. 2008. Cortisol Response to a

Crowding Stress: Heritability and Association with Disease Resistance to Yersinia ruckeri in

Rainbow Trout. North Amer. J. of Aquaculture 70: 425-433.  

Silverstein, JT, RL Vallejo, Y Palti, TD Leeds, CE Rexroad III, TJ Welch, GD Wiens and V Ducrocq. 2008.

 Rainbow trout resistance to bacterial cold-water disease is moderately heritable and is not adversely

correlated with growth. J. Animal Sci. 87: 860-867.

Gahr, SA, RL Vallejo, GM Weber, BS Shepherd, JT Silverstein and CE Rexroad III, 2008. Effects of

short-term growth hormone treatment on liver and muscle transcriptomes in rainbow trout

(Oncorhynchus mykiss). Physiol Genomics 32: 380-392.

Johnson, NA, RL Vallejo, JT Silverstein, TJ Welch, GD Wiens, EM Hallerman and Y Palti, 2008. 

 Suggestive Association of Major Histocompatibility IB Genetic Markers with Resistance to Bacterial

Cold Water Disease in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Marine Biotechnology 10: 429-437.

Johnson, NA, CE Rexroad III, EM Hallerman, RL Vallejo and Y Palti, 2007. Development and evaluation

 of a new microsatellite multiplex system for parental allocation and management of rainbow

 trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) broodstocks. Aquaculture 266: 53–62.

Rexroad III CE, RL Vallejo, I Coulibaly, C Couch, A Garber, M Westerman and C Sullivan, 2006.

Identification and characterization of microsatellites for striped bass from repeat-enriched

libraries. Conservation Genetics 7: 971–982.

SCIENTIFIC & ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

·   Associate Editor for journals: BMC Genetics;  Genetics Selection Evolution

·   Editorial Board Member for journals: Frontiers in Genetics; Journal of Dairy Science

·   Ad Hoc Reviewer for journals: Genetics; Animal Genetics; Journal of Animal Breeding & Genetics;

 Journal of Animal Science; Marine Biotechnology ; Aquaculture; Israeli Journal of Aquaculture

·   Grant Panel Reviewer: USDA-NRICGP; USDA-NIFA-AFRI

·   Ad hoc Grant Reviewer: NSF; Israel Science Foundation; US-Israel Binational Agric. Res. & Develop.

·   Adjunct Professor, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Depart. of Aquaculture & Fisheries, Lima,

 Peru (2009- )

·   Faculty Member Penn State University (2000-2004): Center for Genome Studies; Inter-College

Graduate Degree Program in Genetics; Graduate Degree Program in Animal Science

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

International Society of Animal Genetics, 2006 -

Animal ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science, 1997 -

Genetics Society of America, 1995 -