Rex Dunham

Rex Dunham is the Butler-Cunningham Eminent Scholar in Agriculture & Environmental Science at Auburn University's School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences. His research focuses on advancing aquaculture through genetic improvement, genome editing, and sustainable fish breeding technologies.

Research interests include aquaculture genetics, genomic selection in aquatic species, development of disease-resistant transgenic fish, and optimization of reproductive technologies for ictalurid catfish. His work integrates CRISPR/Cas9 engineering with traditional breeding to enhance productivity and sustainability.

Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on genetic manipulation (35%), reproductive biotechnology (25%), and aquaculture product quality (15%). Key trends include CRISPR applications for disease resistance, transcriptomic analysis of growth traits, and hybrid vigor optimization.

Awards:

• Butler-Cunningham Eminent Scholar in Agriculture & Environmental Science

Dr. Dunham oversees graduate research in genetics and biotechnology, with projects funded by USDA and NSF grants. He directs the Aquatic Genomics Laboratory, collaborating with industry partners to improve catfish aquaculture.