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Brooks, Samantha A.
Assistant Professor
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Positions
- Assistant Professor, Animal Science (AN SC), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
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Research
research overview
- My research focuses in two primary areas: inheritance and genetic identification of traits of interest in the horse, and the use of gene expression tools to study disease, especially laminitis. My previous work has identified the mutations responsible for two key white spotting patterns in the horse, Tobiano and Sabino. I have also worked collaboratively on the discovery of Appaloosa, Champagne, and many Dominant and Variable White patterns. Coat colors are not only a classic model for genetic study, but in the horse are also very important economic traits. The tests developed thorough this work are now widely available tools for breeders seeking to improve the stock and the value of their foal crop. Heath traits currently under study include Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Equine Cushing’s Disease, Splash White associated recessive deafness and Lavender Foal Syndrome. Collaboratively we are also investigating the genetics of body size and the use of qPCR assays to track changes in the population of gut microflora in response to diet. I am currently funded by the USDA to investigate the use of gene expression to monitor mast cell activity in the progression of equine laminitis. Equine laminitis is one of the most significant diseases affecting horses by any measure. The cause of the disease appears to be heterogeneous, occurring as a result of injury, infection, toxins or metabolic disorder. Our work has already illustrated several key differences and inflammatory pathways. Two major, long term objectives are the development of 1) a prognostic test to identify horses at risk, and 2) a therapeutic treatment to prevent or ameliorate the disease.
research activities
area(s) of concentration/expertise
keywords
- equine genetics
- gene expression
- genetics of suceptability to laminitis
- health related traits
- pigmentation genetics
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- Detection of two equine trisomies using SNP-CGH. Mammalian Genome. 2013
- Four Loci Explain 83% of Size Variation in the Horse . PLoS One. 7. 2012
- Investigation of allele frequencies for Lavender foal syndrome in the horse.. Animal Genetics. 43:650. 2012
- Mutations in MITF and PAX3 Cause "Splashed White" and Other White Spotting Phenotypes in Horses. PLoS Genetics. 4. 2012
- Mutations in MITF and PAX3 Cause "Splashed White" and Other White Spotting Phenotypes in Horses. PLoS Genetics. 4. 2012
- Morphometric Traits in Gaited Breeds of Horse: Potential Future Targets for Mapping. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 31:242. 2011
- De novo mutation of KIT discovered as a result of a non-hereditary white coat color pattern.. Animal Genetics. 41:196-198. 2010
- Equine Clinical Genomics: A clinician's primer. Equine Veterinary Journal. 42:658-670. 2010
- Morphological variation in the horse: defining complex traits of size and shape.. Animal Genetics. 41:159-165. 2010
- RT-qPCR Comparison of mast cell populations in whole blood from healthy horses and those with laminitis. Animal Genetics. 41:16-22. 2010
- Whole Genome SNP Association in the Horse: Identification of a Deletion in Myosin Va Responsible for Lavender Foal Syndrome. PLoS Genetics. 6. 2010
- Seven novel KIT mutations in horses with white coat color phenotypes . Animal Genetics. 40:623-9. 2009
- Differential gene expression of TRMP1: the likely cause for both coat spotting pattern (LP) and congenital stationary night blindness in the Appaloosa horse. Genetics. 179:1861-1870. 2008
- Equine Chromosome 3 inversion is associated with the Tobiano spotting pattern in German horse breeds. Animal Genetics. 39:306-309. 2008
- Equine neutrophils respond to PGE2 by activating expression of core circadian clock genes. The Open Veterinary Science Journal. 2:94-101. 2008
- Missense mutation in exon 2 of SLC36A1 responsible for champagne dilution in horses. PLoS Genetics. 4. 2008
- A Chromosome Inversion near the KIT gene and the Tobiano Spotting Pattern in Horses. Cytogenetic and Genome Research. 119:3. 2007
- Evidence for allelic heterogeneity at the equine KIT locus in dominant white (W) horses from several populations. PLoS Genetics. 3. 2007
- Persistent Endometrial Cups. Animal Reproduction Science. 94:274-275. 2006
- Exon skipping in the KIT gene causes a Sabino spotting pattern in horses. Mammalian Genome. 16:893-902. 2005
- Assignment of the appaloosa coat color gene (LP) to equine chromosome 1. Animal Genetics. 35:134-137. 2004
- A PCR-RFLP for KIT associated with the tobiano spotting pattern in horses. Animal Genetics. 33:301-3. 2002
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conference paper
- Identification of SNPs within MC4R as a Candidate for Obesity in the Horse. . Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 322-323. 2009
- Mapping of Lavender Foal Syndrome using the EquineSNP50 Chip. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 321-322. 2009
- Skeletal Size and Shape Diversity in the Horse. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 323-324. 2009
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conference poster
- A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Locus for Eye Color Variation in Puerto Rican Paso Fino Horses 2012
- Genome wide association of sarcoid tumors in horses 2012
- Preliminary Studies on Temperament Phenotypes in Gaited Horses 2012
- Whole Transcriptome Analysis of a Pattern Modifier (PATN1) of Leopard Complex Spotting (LP) 2012
- Association Of An Insertion In TRPM1 With Leopard Complex (LP) Spotting And Congenital Stationary Night Blindness (CSNB) In Horses 2011
- Changes in fecal microbial populations and associated blood variables in Morgan horses maintained on pasture or dry lot 2011
- Detection of Two Equine Trisomies Using SNP-CGH. 2011
- Genome-wide association of polymorphic gait in the horse. 2011
- Next-Generation Transcriptome Sequencing In The Horse: Deciphering The Genetic Cause Of Leopard Complex Spotting (LP) And Congenital Stationary Night Blindness 2011
- Expression of genes associated with mast cell inflammation and tissue degradation in laminar tissue from horses with laminitis. 2009
- RT-qPCR to Compare Mast Cell Populations in Whole Blood from Healthy Horses and those with Laminitis 2008
- Changes in Expression of Mast Cell Related Genes in Response to IV LPS: Preliminary Findings 2007
- Characterization of the Breakpoints for a Chromosomal Inversion on ECA3 Associated with the Tobiano White Spotting Pattern 2007
- Exon skipping in the KIT gene causes the Sabino-White spotting pattern in Tennessee Walking horses 2005
- CHEF Studies of the Equine Chromosome Region Encoding the Tobiano Coat Color Pattern 2004
speaker at Cornell event
Teaching
teaching overview
- My teaching goals are to not only give students a basic knowledge base on the care and management of the horse, but to also use the horse to illustrate broader scientific concepts and interest. Many of our students are pre-vet or pre-professional and while interested in the management of the horse, they are better served by a survey in health and physiology. Elements of basic care have been maintained and are particularly important for those students with no prior horse experience. To accomplish this I use a variety of teaching techniques in our “Horses” course. Although the course is quite large, 60-70 students, I am still able to incorporate some hands on activities using four teaching horses housed in the Equine Metabolism Unit here on campus. The class is divided in to four lab groups of 15 or more students, with each group responsible for the daily care of one horse. Lab activities include exercises with the teaching horses, hands on work with horse equipment, feedstuff and bedding, anatomy models and various on and off campus field trips. In the lecture portion of the course I use a more traditional format, incorporating modern multimedia audiovisuals. I attempt to maintain student involvement though voluntary questioning and contributions of their own experiences and opinions. Students are encouraged to apply knowledge acquired in the course and use their creativity to design a project in small groups. Each group invents an equine activity or business, takes on the role of various personnel in this activity, analyzes the contributions of their role and provides solutions to the problems they would be likely to encounter in that role. Future teaching activities are likely to include the development of a new course. Given my area of research, and the recent expansion of genetics resulting from the development of large scale genomic sequencing , this course is likely to be an upper division survey of comparative genomics. Historically, species based genetics courses have been quite popular with students in this department. This new course will examine a number of species, both food animal and companion, and highlight the unique genomic concepts of each. Guest speakers drawn from the considerable available expertise across campus with be used extensively to get a state of the art opinion on the research of each species. It is my hope that this course will be utilized by our pre-vet and pre-professional majors, as well as students from biology and genetics outside of the department.
teaching activities
- ANSC-4940: Special Topics in Animal Science - Spring 2013
- ANSC-7900: Graduate-Level Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- ANSC-8900: Master's Level Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- AGSCI-4960: Internship in Agricultural Sciences - Fall 2012
- ANSC-2650: Equine Biology and Management - Fall 2012
- ANSC-7900: Graduate-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2012
- ANSC-4300: Comparative Genomics of Health and Disease in Domesticated Animals - Spring 2012
- ANSC-7900: Graduate-Level Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- ANSC-8900: Master's Level Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- ANSC-2650: Equine Biology and Management - Fall 2011
- ANSC-7900: Graduate-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2011
Service
service to the profession
- Cornell University Center for Population Genomics Member 2009 -
- Cornell University Center for Vertebrate Genomics Member 2009 -
- American Society of Animal Science Member 2008 -
- Equine Science Society Member 2008 -
- National Association of Equine Affiliated Academics Member 2008 -
- AI-SPER-0203DF692AB0001093E Chairperson 2011 - 2012
- AI-SPER-0203DF692AB0001093E Officer, Secretary 2010 - 2011
- Equine Science Society- Genetics Section Chairperson 2010 - 2011
reviewer or editor for
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky 2006
- University of Kentucky 2001
awards and honors
Other
college
- CALS
research keyword
- equine genetics
- gene expression
- genetics of suceptability to laminitis
- health related traits
- pigmentation genetics
name prefix
- Professor