Dr. Gonella-Diaza, Angela Maria
Assistant Professor
Beef Cattle Reproduction
Dr. Angela Maria Gonella-Diaza was born in Colombia, in a region where agricultural production is very important for the local economy. "My family has a farm for more than 60 years, where rice and cattle are produced, thus, basically I was surrounded by cows since I was a little girl. I went to the vet school in Bogota (Colombia). During that period, I worked a lot in in vitro embryo production and when I finished my program I worked in some dairy farms near Bogota (Capital of Colombia). But I loved the research since I was very young, so in 2008 I started my Master in Reproductive Physiology in the National University of Colombia. My research was focused on the reproductive efficiency of Romosinuano and Brahman breeds. Then, I worked for 2 years in a private vet School teaching Theriogenology to undergraduate students before I went to Brazil in 2013 to start my Ph.D. at the University of Sao Paulo. I remained for almost 6 years there, first doing my Ph.D. and then a postdoc in the Department of Animal Reproduction. My research involved the identification of molecular patterns of receptivity in the reproductive tract of beef cows".
Programs
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Research
The majority of reproductive wastage occurs during the first 3 weeks of pregnancy. Establishing successful early pregnancy requires that the female reproductive tract is ready and receptive to receive gametes and to allow fertilization, embryo development, and implantation. This Maternal receptivity is initiated and maintained by the action of steroid hormones. My main area of research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that contribute to establishing and maintaining successful early pregnancy in beef cattle. Specifically, I’m interested in how alterations of the maternal environment such as changes in estradiol and progesterone concentrations affect the oviductal environment and how the embryo could respond to these changes.
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Extension
Reproduction is always a major issue in the beef industry. The economic performance of herds is closely related to their reproductive efficiency, as it modulates important productive parameters. However, to analyze and evaluate the effects of reproductive strategies on the economic performance of the herd is not a straightforward task. In the best-case scenario, the economic return from investment in reproductive biotechnologies will come several months after their use. I am aware that reproductive biotechnologies such as AI and embryo transference are not useful for all operations. However, my goal is to help to establish what would be the best reproductive program depending on the needs of each ranch and producer. In some cases, simple strategies such as collecting and analyzing data can help to detect problems and establish strategies to improve the profitability of herds.
Contact
Dr. Gonella-Diaza, Angela Maria
Assistant Professor
Beef Cattle Reproduction
North Florida Research and Education Center
3925 Highway 71
Marianna, FL 32466
Phone: 850-526-1612
Fax: 352-846-6617
Email
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Education
- Post Doctoral Research Assistant, Department of Animal Reproduction, University of Sao Paulo (USP) 2019
- PH.D. University of Sao Paulo (USP) 2017
- M.S. Reproductive Physiology in the National University of Colombia 2013
- Vet school in Bogota (Colombia) in the Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (UDCA) 2008
- Publications