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Zaira M. Estrada Reyes, PhD

Research Associate Professor

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zereyes@pvamu.edu

(936) 261- 5016

 

Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Agricultural Research Center College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

Prairie View, Texas 77446

Dr. Estrada-Reyes is a Research Associate Professor in the Cooperative Agricultural Research Center at Prairie View A&M University. She is a young Animal Scientist with robust experience in small ruminant production, immunology, and animal genetics. She received her PhD in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Florida and completed 2 years of post-doctoral training at the University of California Davis and Fort Valley State University working with small ruminants and poultry. Prior to PVAMU, she served as an Assistant Professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. There, she conducted research on the molecular mechanisms underlying the resistance of Florida Cracker sheep to Haemonchus contortus and examined the impact of these infections on colostrum composition. Throughout her career, she has focused on studying the mechanisms controlling resistance to gastrointestinal parasites and the impacts of heat stress in small ruminants. Her current research focuses on investigating the indirect effects of H. contortus infection on meat and carcass traits in sheep and goats. This study aims to elucidate how parasitic infections influence the quality and yield of meat products, providing valuable insights for improving livestock management and meat production standards. Previous research conducted by Dr. Estrada-Reyes allowed the identification of potential genetic markers associated with parasite resistance in small ruminants. She has published alongside her research collaborators in the International Journal for Parasitology, BMC Genomics, Frontiers in Animal Science, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Small Ruminant Research, Parasite Immunology and the Journal of Animal Science. In addition to this, she is an active member of the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control since 2019.

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Timely Topics
Florida Cracker: a heritage breed with natural resistance to internal parasites (September 2024)

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Last updated 05.16.2025 by Sanjok Poudel
 

 

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