Jimena Laporta
Position title: Assistant Professor, Lactation Physiology, Animal and Dairy Sciences
Email: jlaporta@wisc.edu
Phone: Mammary gland physiology with advances in management, genetics and nutrition
Address:
Education
B.S. 2008 in Biology, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
M.S. 2011 in Animal Science, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
Ph.D. 2014 in Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison
NIH Biosketch
PubMed Publications
Department Website
Research Focus
Dr. Laporta’s research focuses on two main areas: 1) understanding how autocrine, systemic, and environmental factors affect mammary gland developmental trajectory and function in dairy cows, and 2) how prenatal (in-utero) and early postnatal (pre-weaning) nutritional and environmental influences program the developing calf long term. Dr. Laporta has developed an integrated approach to investigate prenatal hyperthermia’s long-lasting multilactational and multigenerational effects on postnatal growth, production capacity, and survival. Her work demonstrates that prenatal hyperthermia alters the developmental trajectory of the mammary gland from the fetal stage through the first lactation, leading to reduced milk yields and considerable losses to dairy profitability. Her current research focus is understanding how exposure to prenatal hyperthermia alters the daughter’s and granddaughter’s epigenome of critical organs, including the liver and mammary gland. Dr. Laporta is also investigating pre-weaning calf thermo-physiological adaptations to the changing environment, assessing optimal environmental and animal-based indicators of heat stress, and developing novel interventions to prevent the adverse effects of hyperthermia in early life. Another active area of research in Dr. Laporta’s lab focuses on studying the serotonergic pathway in the mammary gland and immune cell populations. Specifically, in the mammary gland, serotonin can accelerate key cellular processes during mammary gland involution after milk stasis to aid in the effective dry-off process of high-yielding dairy cows. Current collaborative efforts in her lab are directed toward dissecting the contribution of mammary-derived serotonin to maternal energy regulation during lactation using transgenic mouse and cell culture models.
Program Activities
- Joined ERP Program: 2020
- Teaching: ANS/DYSCI 378 – Lactation Physiology
- ANS/DYSCI 875 – Advanced Physiology
Trainees
No current ERP students
Past ERP students
- Sena L. Field, PhD ’23