Faculty Candidate Research Seminar - Victoria Uyanga, PhD

Victoria Uyanga, PhD

Title: Functional Nutrition in Poultry: Integrating Amino Acids and Feed Additives to Support Metabolism, Immunocompetence and Resilience Under Health and Challenge Conditions

Synopsis: Feed additives are incorporated into poultry diets as sources of nutrients and biologically active substances to improve productivity and health. Amino acids also play functional roles in metabolic, immunological and physiological processes. Nutritional interventions targeting these functional ingredients have potential implications for supporting nutrient metabolism, intestinal health and immunocompetence under both health and challenge conditions. This seminar will examine the utilization of functional feed additives and amino acids to enhance poultry resilience and sustainable production.

Candidate Bio: Victoria Uyanga, PhD, earned her doctorate in animal nutrition and physiology from Shandong Agricultural University, China. She completed postdoctoral training in poultry nutrition and immunology at Iowa State University. Her research focuses on understanding how nutritional, environmental and immune factors influence poultry productivity, health and resilience. Her work applies systems-based approaches that recognize the interconnected roles of nutrition in regulating poultry physiology, welfare and sustainable production. Her research employs dietary interventions, physiological and metabolic assessments, molecular biology tools and applied production trials to address emerging challenges in modern poultry production. Her studies have explored key areas including amino acid nutrition, functional feed additives, microbiome modulators, low crude protein feeding, gastrointestinal function, thermoregulation, immunometabolism and nutrient-gene interactions. Uyanga is currently an assistant professor of animal science at Lincoln University of Missouri, where she trains and mentors students in core areas of animal science, including nutrition, physiology and production systems.

For access to the Zoom link, email Marion Welsh at welsh@purdue.edu.