Nutritional Enhancement of Animal Sourced Food

People

Payam VAhmani, phd (he/him), Principal investigator

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis. I earned my Ph.D. in Ruminant Nutrition from Dalhousie University in Canada in 2013. Under the supervision of Dr. Alan Fredeen, my doctoral research investigated the effects of lipid supplements on lipid metabolism and milk fatty acid composition in cows managed in confinement or pasture systems. For my postdoctoral work, I joined Dr. Mike Dugan’s lab at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (the USDA equivalent), where I studied the impact of cattle nutrition on meat quality and beef fatty acid composition, with a particular emphasis on enhancing bioactive fatty acids in beef.

In 2019, I joined the faculty at UC Davis, where I established my lab to focus on the nutritional enhancement of animal-sourced foods.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Roksana, and our two children, Daniel and Ariana. I also take pleasure in caring for my backyard chickens and am passionate about cooking, especially grilling well-marbled steaks.”

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Yanqing (annie) xu (She/her), PHd student

I got my Bachelors of Science in Animal Science and Biochemistry in 2020 at Colorado State University.

I joined Dr. Payam Vahmani's lab as a master's student in Animal Biology in 2020. During my master's degree, I focused on understanding the health effects of natural trans fatty acids in grass-fed tallow by comparing them to cis fatty acids in lard. I mainly focused on the health issues led by obesity and type II diabetes.

I am currently a Ph.D. student in Animal Biology at UC Davis with Dr. Vahmani. My research focuses on the health effects of natural trans fatty acids, including obesity and obesity-linked health problems, including insulin resistance, lipid metabolism disorder, and oxidative stress.

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Maykal Tsonov (they/them), m.s. student

I earned an A.S. in Biological Sciences at Glendale Community College in 2022. For the next two years, I worked towards obtaining my B.S. in Animal Science with a specialization focus on physiology at UC Davis.

In my senior year, I completed an Honors Thesis in Major with Dr. Vahmani on the effects of rumen-derived bioactive fatty acids on preadipocytes from different fat depots. Additionally, I am currently exploring the nutritional profile of cultivated meat and fat as it compares to conventional meat products in a collaboration with Perri Gish.

During my undergraduate career, I've had the pleasure of working with Isabelle McDonald-Gilmartin on a behavior research project on abnormal repetitive behaviors in dairy heifers. This opportunity sparked my interest in research so much so that I conducted a research project in dairy calves as part of an Animal Behavior laboratory class.

For the next two years, I will be striving to earn my M.S. in Animal Biology at UC Davis. I hope to gain a better understanding of beef marbling and how we can enhance it in addition to being able to produce comparable or superior cultivated fat.

Fun Facts: I am originally from Bulgaria and moved here in 2016. I love arts and crafts and can pick up any hobby with ease.

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Abigail tolentino (she/her), m.s. student

I obtained a bachelors of science in animal science with an emphasis in laboratory animals, as well as a minor in nutrition science in 2024.

As an undergraduate, I interned in Dr. Payam Vahmani’s lab and was able to develop laboratory skills in which I performed animal husbandry tasks, teaching undergraduate students in rodent handling for a nutrition course, as well as fatty acid analyses.

I eventually led my own research projects that focused on the effects of typical and enriched beef fat on rodent models when fed low and high fat diets, as well as looking at the comparisons between grass-fed and grain-fed beef fat, commercial pork lard, and high oleic pork lard on metabolic parameters related to diabetes.

I am currently a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in the nutritional biology group at UC Davis with Dr. Vahmani with the goal of connecting my interests in animal agriculture and human health through investigating the effects of animal products on consumer health.

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Emrys yang (she/her), m.s. student

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from UC Davis and will begin my graduate studies in Animal Biology in Fall 2024.

During my undergraduate studies, I worked at the Meat Laboratory for three years, where I gained hands-on experience in humane livestock slaughter, carcass fabrication, and processed meat production.

After graduating, I joined Dr. Vahmani’s lab to expand my knowledge of meat science and nutrition. As a Junior Specialist, I participated in various research projects focused on the fatty acid composition of animal fat tissue. I also led the Superior Farm Lamb Backfat Composition Survey, investigating the relationship between USDA yield grades and the fatty acid composition of backfat in feedlot lambs.

My primary interest lies in improving livestock nutrition to produce higher-quality products and understanding how these animal products impact consumer health.

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Perri e. gish (she/her), Phd student

I graduated with a B.S. in Animal Science and a minor in Comparative Literature from UC Davis in 2022 with a specialization in companion and captive animals and an emphasis on exotic species and their conservation. During my B.S., I worked in the Animal Science department supporting teaching labs, and I am passionate about science education! Following that, I worked as a Junior Specialist in the Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior department focusing on muscle stem cells and their structure-function relationships in biomedical and cultivated meat contexts.

I am interested in muscle stem cells that create intramuscular fat and connective tissue and their critical role in meat quality. I aim to apply all my training in the biomedical fields back to agriculture. Using a cellular, molecular, and whole animal techniques for my experiments and conducting research relevant for traditional livestock meat production, I hope to translate my work to cultivated (lab-grown) meat as well to expand my horizons. I am always happy to discuss my research!

Fun Facts: I worked for a summer in an Alaskan Conservation Center! (Ask her about muskox and bears!). My favorite lab technique is cell culture and my favorite animal of all time is the Giant Australian Cuttlefish.