Sergio A. Burgos

Degrees

Agrónomo, Pan-American School of Agriculture, Zamorano, Honduras
BSc, University of Florida
Msc, University of California, Davis
PhD, University of Guelph

Awards and Recognitions

Richard and Edith Strauss Postdoctoral Fellowship, McGill University (2010-12)

Short Bio

Sergio Burgos received a degree in Agronomy from the Panamerican School of Agriculture, before completing a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science at the University of Florida. He obtained a Master's degree in Animal Science from the University of California at Davis and then a doctorate in Animal Science from the University of Guelph in 2009. He then joined the McGill Nutrition and Food Science Centre at the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, McGill University as a Postdoctoral Fellow. From 2012 to 2014, he was a Research Associate at the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre. In 2015, he joined the Department of Animal Science at the Macdonald campus of McGill University as Assistant Professor in Animal Nutrition and Metabolism.

Active Affiliations

Research Networks

• Regroupement de recherche pour un lait de qualité optimale (OptiLAIT), Member (2015 – present)

Scientific Societies

• American Society for Nutrition (2015 - present)
• American Dairy Science Association (2016 - present)
• Canadian Diabetes Association, Clinical and Scientific Section (2012 - present)
• Canadian Nutrition Society (2015 - present)

Current Research

Dr. Burgos's research program focuses on nutrient metabolism in relation to milk production, the health benefits of milk consumption, and the environmental impact of dairy production. The laboratory pursues an interdisciplinary approach that integrates traditional metabolic techniques with modern systems biology tools. The long-term goals of the laboratory are to develop nutritional strategies and technologies to enhance the sustainability of animal production and to generate animal-based products to improve human nutrition and health.

The laboratory has three areas of research interest:

1. Food production: We aim to understand the molecular regulation of nutrient metabolism in the bovine mammary gland during development and lactation. Using a combination of next generation sequencing and stable isotope-based metabolic flux measurements, we will characterize the adaptations of genetic, signaling, and metabolic networks to nutritional perturbations in mammary cells and tissue as well as in vivo. A deeper mechanistic understanding of mammary gland nutrient metabolism and the molecular regulation of milk synthesis will permit better manipulation of milk composition and more efficient use of nutrients for milk production to maximize the profitability of dairy producers.
2. Human health and nutrition: This program focuses on the identification of bioactive compounds in milk with beneficial effects on human health. We will use mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to identify metabolites present in bovine milk and then assess their biological activity by metabolically phenotyping in cell culture and animal models of disease. Through established collaborations with colleagues at the Faculty of Medicine and School of Dietetic and Human Nutrition, we will conduct metabolic studies to test the efficacy of milk-derived bioactive compounds in promoting metabolic and musculoskeletal health in clinically-relevant human populations. The identification of bioactive compounds in milk will lead to the development of functional dairy products to improve human nutrition and health.
3. Environmental sustainability: This program is aimed at the identification of rumen-derived milk metabolites that can be used as biomarkers of rumen function, feed efficiency and methane emissions by dairy cows. By combining traditional ruminant nutrition and physiology with state-of-the-art profiling technologies, we will characterize the response of rumen microbiome and milk metabolome to dietary manipulation in dairy cows. The identification of milk biomarkers of rumen fermentation will allow for nutritional manipulation to enhance the efficiency of dairy production and reduce its impact on the environment.

Highly motivated students interested in pursuing MSc or PhD degrees in these research areas are encouraged to contact me to inquire on training opportunities.

Courses Taught

Publications

To view a list of current publications, please click here.