Raj Duggavathi

Biography

Raj Duggavathi obtained his BVSc (1997) and MVSc (1999) degrees from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. He earned his PhD in reproductive physiology in 2004 from University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. Following a postdoctoral tenure at the Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, he joined the department of Animal Science in 2008. He serves as Chair of the Faculty Animal Care Committee and the Animal Science Safety committee.

Research Interest

Duggvathi’s research focuses on mechanisms of regulation of female fertility with emphasis on ovarian function. His group’s current research involves two modules. In module 1, they use bovine model to investigate metabolic regulation of ovarian function in dairy cows. In the last five years his group has discovered that metabolic indicators differ significantly between lactating dairy cows and non-lactating counterparts. Their current studies investigate the relationship between ovarian activity and bile acid/cholesterol metabolism. In module 2, they use genome edited and pharmacologically manipulated mouse models to investigate signaling pathways governing ovulation and fertility. In the last five years his group has discovered novel transcription factors involved in the ERK1/2 intracellular signaling pathways as well as important molecules involved in ovulation including Nr5a2, mTOR (both granulosa-specific knockout models) and Fabp6 (whole-body knockout model). Their current studies focus on the role of histone modifications in granulosa cell gene expression. They plan to use mice with granulosa-specific deletion of the genes of histone modifying enzymes and important promoter/enhancer regions involved in ovulation. For their studies, they employ both genomic and targeted gene approaches, including next-generation sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, quantitative-PCR in our studies. Their research will continue to advance the understanding of molecular mechanisms underpinning normal ovarian functions, including ovulation and steroid hormone production, leading to normal female fertility.