I am a nonruminant nutritionist with training in animal nutrition, digestive physiology and mucosal immunity. I am interested in applying applied and basic techniques to investigate the complex interactions between nutrients, gut microbes, and immunity and how these interactions affect complex physiological traits important in human health and in agricultural species. As a graduate student at Kansas State University I was involved in applied research evaluating the effects of dietary alternatives to growth promoting antibiotics in a salmonella challenge model and basic research evaluating the effects of pathogenic bacteria on immune genes in vitro in a porcine intestinal epithelial cell line. Currently, at the University of Nebraska, my research is focused in two main areas: 1) Evaluating the effects of dam parity on progeny growth, health status, and microbial diversity; and 2) Evaluating the in vivo and in vitro effects of pre- and probiotics on growth, immunity and nutrient transport.

Education

• Kansas State University--Manhattan, KS
  • PhD. Animal Physiology, 2006
  • Emphasis: Mucosal innate immunity
  • Dissertation title: Expression and regulation of porcine Toll-like receptors
• Kansas State University--Manhattan, KS
  • M.S. Animal Science, 2003
  • Emphasis: Mucosal immunity and nutrition of swine
  • Thesis title: Effect of dietary mannanoligosaccharide and sodium chlorate on growth performance of weaned pigs challenged with Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium
• Rockford College -- Rockford, Illinois
  • B.A. Biology; Chemistry, Physics and Secondary Education minors (12/96)

Experience

• 7/06-Present: Assistant Professor, Animal Science Dept., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
• 8/01-5/06: Graduate Teaching/Research Assistant, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
• 8/98-6/01: Secondary Science Teacher, Hononegah Community High School, Rockton, Illinois
• 8/97-6/98: Secondary Science Teacher, North Boone High School, Poplar Grove, Illinois
• 8/96-6/97: Secondary Science Teacher, Auburn High School, Rockford Illinois

Awards/Honors

• 2010 Research Development Fellows Program, UNL Office of Research & Economic Development
• 2009 Faculty of the Year Award, Presented by the UNL/ISU PPVM, Class of 2012

Teaching Activities-University of Nebraska

• VMED 550: Veterinary Nutrition (Fall, 2009 – present)
• VMED 646/ASCI 846: Digestive physiology and metabolism (Spring, 2007 – present)
• ASCI (NUTR) 927: Amino acid and protein nutrition (Spring, 2008 – present)
• ASCI (NUTR) 921: Nutrition Seminar (Fall, 2007)
• ASCI 421/821: Advanced animal nutrition (Fall, 2007 and 2008)

Bibliography

H. Tran, R. Moreno, E.E. Hinkle, J.W. Bundy, J.Walter, T.E. Burkey, and P.S. Miller. 2011. Effects of corn distillers dried grains with solubles on growth performance and health status indicators in weanling pigs. J Anim Sci. Oct 7. [Epub ahead of print]

Davis, B.L., J.N. Fraser, T.E. Burkey, K.A. Skjolaas, S.S. Dritz, B.J. Johnson, and J.E. Minton. 2010. Oral inoculation with Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium or Choleraesuis promotes divergent responses in the somatotropic growth axis of swine. J. Anim. Sci. 88:1642-8.

Aperce, C.E., T.E. Burkey, B. Kukanich, B.A. Crozier-Dodson, S.S. Dritz, and J.E. Minton. 2010. Interaction of Bacillus spp. and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in immune/inflammatory signaling from swine intestinal epithelial cells. J. Anim. Sci. 88:1649-56.

Burkey, T.E., K.A. Skjolaas, S.S. Dritz and J.E. Minton. 2009. Expression of porcine Toll-like receptor 2, 4 and 9 gene transcripts in the presence of lipopolysaccharide and Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Choleraesuis. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 130:96-101.

Burkey, T.E., K.A. Skjolaas, and J.E. Minton. 2009. Invited Review: Porcine Mucosal Immunity of the Gastrointestinal Tract. J. Anim. Sci. 87:1493-501.

Burkey, T. E., K. A. Skjolaas, S. S. Dritz, and J. E. Minton. 2007. Expression of Toll-like receptors, interleukin 8, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, and osteopontin in tissues from pigs challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium or serovar Choleraesuis. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 115:309-19.

Skjolaas, K. A., T. E. Burkey, S.S. Dritz, and J. E. Minton. 2007. Effects of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, or serovar Choleraesuis, Lactobacillus reuteri and Bacillus licheniformis on chemokine and cytokine expression in the swine jejunal epithelial cell line, IPEC-J2. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 115:299-308.

Fraser, J.N., B.L. Davis, K.A. Skjolaas, T.E. Burkey, S.S. Dritz, B.J. Johnson, and J.E. Minton. 2007. Effects of feeding Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium or serovar Choleraesuis to weaned pigs on growth performance and circulating insulin-like growth factor-I, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-1 beta. J. Anim. Sci. 85:1161-7.

Skjolaas, K.A., T.E. Burkey, S.S. Dritz and J.E. Minton. 2006. Effects of Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium (ST) and Choleraesuis (SC) on chemokine and cytokine expression in swine ileum and jejunal epithelial cells. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 111:199-209.

Johnson, B.J., S. S. Dritz, K. A. Skjolaas-Wilson, T. E. Burkey, and J. E. Minton. 2005. Interactive responses in gut immunity, and systemic and local changes in the IGF system in nursery pigs in response to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. J. Anim. Sci. 83: p. E48-56.

Burkey, T.E. S. S. Dritz, J. C. Nietfeld, B. J. Johnson, and J. E. Minton. 2004. Effect of dietary mannanoligosaccharide and sodium chlorate on the growth performance, acute-phase response, and bacterial shedding of weaned pigs challenged with Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. J. Anim. Sci. 82:397–404.