Lauren Baker
Position title: Assistant Professor of Companion and Working Animal Biology, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences
Email: iwicki@wisc.edu
Phone: Identifying genetic and environmental risk factors for initiation and progression of complex hereditary disorders.
Address:
Education
B.A. 2009 University of Wisconsin-Madison
M.S. 2014 University of Wisconsin-Madison
D.V.M. 2016 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Postdoctoral Position 2016-2019 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ph.D. 2019 University of Wisconsin-Madison
NIH Biosketch
PubMed Publications
Department Website
Research Focus
The Baker Lab studies the domestic dog as a model for complex hereditary disorders to efficiently identify genetic and environmental risk factors for initiation and progression of disease. We utilize a variety of statistical and bioinformatic approaches to analyze and integrate large-scale ‘omics datatypes, including genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, to investigate the interplay between DNA sequence, gene expression, metabolism, and the environment. Dogs are uniquely positioned for this work because they live alongside their human companions, but experience environmental changes and exposures in a more extreme way; for example, dogs are often spayed or neutered, which means they experience hormonal changes that affect their physiology and change their risk for expression of heritable disorders. Similarly, dogs roll in chemically-treated lawns, lick carpet, eat dirt, drink from puddles, etc; all of which could increase their exposure to contaminants in our shared environment. By studying the effect of these exposures in dogs, we can advance both animal and human health.
Program Activities
- Joined ERP Program: 2025
Trainees
Current ERP Student
- Teresita de Jesús Valdés-Arciniega (PhD in progress)
No Past ERP Students