Nicole C. Burdick-Sanchez

USDA-ARS Livestock Issues Research Unit

Dr. Nicole Burdick Sanchez, originally from Ontario, Canada, grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. As an undergraduate student at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Nicole participated in undergraduate research for 3.5 years under Dr. Jamie Laurenz. As an undergraduate research assistant, she assisted graduate students with their research projects in the area of swine immunity. She graduated with her B.S. in Animal Science in 2005. Her work as an undergraduate researcher opened doors for her to pursue a Master of Science degree in the same program at TAMU-Kingsville which she completed in 2007, where she studied the effects of cattle temperament on passive immunity. Under the direction of Drs. Tom Welsh (TAMU) and Jeff Carroll (USDA-ARS), Nicole completed her Ph.D. in Physiology of Reproduction at Texas A&M University in 2010, where her research focused on the effects of cattle temperament on stress and immune responses. She then joined the USDA, ARS Livestock Issues Research Unit in Lubbock, Texas as a Post-doctoral Research Associate in June 2010, and transitioned to a permanent Research Animal Scientist position in January 2013. Nicole’s research focuses on studying interactions between stress and immunity in cattle and swine, and how changes in metabolism influence these responses. Additionally, she has investigated differences in innate immune and metabolic responses caused by naturally-occurring variations including temperament, breed, and sex. Her research aims to understand how changes in metabolism alter immunity. Since 2004, Nicole has authored or co-authored 2 book chapters, 58 peer-reviewed journal articles, 152 abstracts, and 37 technical and proceeding reports.