Jessica L. Petersen

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Jessica L. Petersen

Associate Professor Animal Science University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Address
ANSC A218g
Lincoln NE 68583-0908
Phone
402-472-6328 On-campus 2-6328
Email
jessica.petersen@unl.edu
Website
Website

Dr. Jessica Petersen joined the Department of Animal Science in 2014 as an Assistant Professor, and has served as an Associate Professor of Functional Animal Genomics since 2020. She also serves as a courtesy faculty member in the School of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Petersen is a member of both the International Society of Animal Genetics-Food and Agriculture Organization (ISAG-FAO) Advisory Group on Animal Genetic Diversity and the International Plant and Animal Genome Organizing Committee.

Education

Ph.D., Genetics, University of California Davis, 2009
M.S., Biology, Western Illinois University, 2003
B.S., Biology, Nebraska Wesleyan University, 2000

Teaching

ASCI 330: Animal Breeding and Genetics
Summary: Principles of animal genetics and genomics, and their application to improvement of livestock and companion animals. Topics include: characterization of allelic and genetic variation associated with animal performance, principles of selection, inbreeding and crossbreeding, advances in molecular genetics, and their applications to the development of breeding programs to enhance animal productivity and well-being.

Research

The focus of the Animal Genetics and Genomics lab is to identify genetic variants that act to alter phenotypic traits, in desirable or undesirable ways. For example, a large USDA-funded project aims to understand how variation in the mitochondrial genome impact cellular efficiency of cattle. Additionally, we work with several beef cattle breed organizations to identify novel variation underlying genetic defects and with horse breeders to identify genetic risk factors for disease. The other focus of the lab is population genetics, primarily of horses including Thoroughbreds and draft breeds. These studies serve to characterize past and current breed diversity, which allows for the monitoring of change in the future.