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Welcome! ¡Bienvenidos! Willkommen!
Hi, I am Dr. Milca Rosa Velazquez. My research expertise is in nutritional physiology. My team and I found that maternal supplementation during gestation could have a long-term impact on offspring’s development, energy metabolism, and immune response. Nutrition plays a critical role in developmental programs. These effects can be during gametogenesis, gestation, or early life. Essential nutrients, like omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), are crucial for normal physiological functioning and the health of humans and all domestic species. My research has demonstrated the importance of n-3 PUFA in ruminant diets during gestation and its effects on pre-and postnatal offspring growth and health indices.
I am a passionate and compassionate Animal Scientist born and raised in Puerto Rico. My curiosity for animal-human interaction started at a very young age leading to my interest in the veterinary field and animal sciences. I earned an Associate’s degree in Pre-Veterinary and a Bachelor with Magna Cum Laude in Animal Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. I later enrolled in the School of Veterinary Medicine at La Complutense University in Madrid, Spain. During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to join a research exchange program with Salamanca University in Spain; it was then that my love for research began.
I started my MS in Animal Sciences at Veracruzana University in Mexico and completed my Ph.D. in a sandwich program at the Ohio State University and Veracruzana University, passing both degrees with distinction on an honors thesis. My Ph.D. in Animal Sciences focused on nutritional physiology, health, and epigenetics. My primary focus of research is studying the effect of nutritional supplements (n-3 PUFA and Methionine) in the diet of pregnant ewes and the impact on offspring development and physiology.
I am an animal welfare advocate. It is a privilege to work with animals in research. They are helping us to build a healthier and safer future. Therefore, as caretakers, we should ensure their experience is as pleasant and peaceful as possible. Also, I am committed to fostering a workplace culture of belonging, where diversity and inclusion are celebrated, and equity is a core value.
When not conducting research or teaching, I enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors, cooking, and trying new foods. I hope one day to have a farm and use it as a haven for animals in need. I consider myself a citizen of the world. I have lived in different countries, including Spain, Germany, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the USA, and collaborated with researchers from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Korea, and Nigeria. I speak English and Spanish fluently and some German. These have allowed me to work and learn from wonderful researchers from all over the world, explore their different cultures and understand their challenges, and bring back home and everywhere I go valuable knowledge, share it, and apply it to everything I do.