Dr. J. Lannett Edwards
Associate Professor, Graduate Program Director

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow, USDA, Gene Evaluation and Mapping Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, 1996-1998
Ph.D., Animal Science (Animal Molecular and Cell Biology), University of Florida, 1996
MS, Dairy Science, Mississippi State University, 1992
BS, Agriculture, Austin Peay State University, 1989

Professional Interest: Reproductive Physiology and Embryology

Increased selection for traits of economic importance in farm animals (i.e., milk production) has been coincident with significant reductions in cow fertility. Infertility is not without consequence as the efficiency and economic livelihood of animal production systems are compromised. For example, costs incurred by the dairy producer may reach $4.00/day/cow for every day a cow is not pregnant beyond 90 days after giving birth (Britt, 1975). Despite the widely accepted magnitude of this problem, little progress has been made to understand the specific components contributing to infertility in farm animal species. Until this information is known, the significant detrimental effects of infertility in agriculturally important animals will not be ameliorated in an economic, practical way. To this end, Dr. Edwards is pursuing research aimed at 1) elucidating mechanisms through which environmental heat stress reduces dairy cow fertility by altering ovum quality, 2) identifying genes of economic interest to the dairy industry (i.e., those important in oocyte and embryo development), and 3) develop alternative strategies to alter sex ratio of farm animals that minimizes sperm damage while maintaining fertility. Efforts to improve fertility of farm animals is of agricultural significance as progress would go towards reducing animal costs thereby providing cost benefits to the consumer, and could ultimately lead to increased productivity of fewer animals. Production of fewer animals but more of the most valuable sex would go towards conserving natural resources and enhancing the environment. It is also expected that information gained from these studies will be applied towards preventing reproduction problems or failure, in other agriculturally important species, as well as in humans.   

Select Publications:

• Edwards J.L. A.N. Bogart, L.A. Rispoli, A.M. Saxton and F.N. Schrick. 2009. Developmental competence of embryos from heat-stressed ova. J. Dairy Sci. 92:563-570.
• Schrock G.E., A.M. Saxton, F.N. Schrick, and J.L. Edwards. 2007. Early in vitro fertilization improves development of bovine ova heat stressed during in vitro maturation.  Journal of Dairy Science 90:4297-4303.
• Edwards J.L., J.L. Lawrence, R.R. Payton, J.R. Dunlap, and A.M. Saxton. 2005. Exposure to a physiologically-relevant elevated temperature hastens maturation in bovine oocytes.  Journal   of Dairy Science 88:4326-4333. 
• Payton R.R., R. Romar, P. Coy, A.M. Saxton, J.L. Lawrence and J.L. Edwards. 2004. Susceptibility of bovine germinal vesicle-stage oocytes from antral follicles to direct effects of heat stress in vitro. Biol. Reprod. 71:1303-1308.
• Lawrence J.L., R.R. Payton, J.D. Godkin, A.M. Saxton, F.N. Schrick and J.L. Edwards. 2004. Retinol improves development of bovine oocytes compromised by heat stress during maturation. J. Dairy Sci. 87:2449-2454.