Plenary Speakers

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine

Talk Title: “A gut-eyed view of nutritional ecology: how fishes specialize to use different resources”

Dr. German received a BA in Marine Science (Biology path) from the University of San Diego, where he also played American Football (offensive line). He then received an MS in Biology studying digestive physiology of fishes under Dr. Michael H. Horn at California State University, Fullerton. For his doctoral studies, Dr. German investigated the nutritional physiology of Amazonian wood-eating catfishes under the guidance of Dr. David H. Evans and Dr. Karen A. Bjorndal at the University of Florida. He then won a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship to study microbial biogeochemistry at University of California, Irvine, where he went on to become an Assistant Professor in 2011; he is now a full Professor, and Co-Chair of Graduate Admissions for the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Dr. German studies nutritional physiology, spanning from the molecular to the whole-organism level. There are currently three PhD students and a UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in his laboratory investigating digestion and energetics (with a focus on the microbiome) in the face of challenges of dietary variation and pollution. Although they mostly work on marine creatures (fishes and molluscs), the lab has also ventured into lizard and insect nutritional physiology. Dr. German has had eight doctorates conferred from his laboratory and three former postdoctoral scholars who have all gone on to academic careers.

Deptartment of Animal Sciences, University of Flordia

Talk Title: "From Filler to Functional: How Fiber Got its Sexy Back

Dr. Warren is a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, where her research centers on evaluation of feeds, feed additives and novel ingredients for their nutritional value and role in improving the health and performance of horses. She has also collaborated on projects addressing nutritional challenges in other hindgut fermenters, including rhinos, elephants, zebras, and manatees. Although her investigations have included many nutrients over the past 30 years, her career favorite has always been fiber. Dr. Warren earned her B.S. at the University of Wyoming and her M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky with a dual emphasis in equine nutrition and exercise physiology. She served on the National Research Council committee tasked with evaluating safety of dietary supplements for horses, dogs and cats, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Equine Science Society.

Toucan Rescue ranch

Talk Title: “The secret life of sloths, a glimpse into the gut of a unique folivore and the odd implications of its Ancestry”

Dr. Andrés Bräutigam is a wildlife veterinarian working in rescue centers in Costa Rica, specializing in sloth medicine and biology. He works as a veterinary supervisor at Toucan Rescue Ranch, a non profit organization located in Costa Rica that specializes in rescue, rehabilitation and reintroduction of sloths. His area of expertise is gastroenterology of two toed sloths, emerging diseases in sloths, as well as anatomy, physiology and histology of two toed sloths. Dr Bräutigam also has a background in paleontology and evolutionary biology and is particularly interested in the ways that the morphological sciences, paleobiology and ecology inform the behavior of extant animals.