Ben Willing

Ben Willing is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences. His research focuses on the microbiology of nutrigenomics, exploring how symbiotic gut microbes interact with dietary components to influence host physiology and disease resistance in livestock and humans. He employs antibiotic and gnotobiotic animal models, metabolomics, and transcriptomics to study these interactions.

Education:

• PhD in Animal and Poultry Science from the University of Saskatchewan
• Postdoc in Microbiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
• Postdoc in Microbiology and Immunology at the Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia

Research Interests:

• Microbial regulation of host metabolism and immune responses
• Impact of dietary interventions on gut microbiota composition
• Prevention of metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes, obesity) through microbiome modulation
• Comparative analysis of microbiota between wild and domestic animals

His work emphasizes translational applications in both human and animal health.

Teaching:

• AFNS 528: Advances in Human Nutrition and the Intestinal Microbiome (Winter 2026)
• AFNS 575: Advanced Functional Genomics Technologies (Fall 2025)
• AN SC 311: Metabolic Physiology of Domestic Animals (Winter 2026)
• NU FS 428: Advances in Human Nutrition and the Intestinal Microbiome (Winter 2026)

Courses integrate cutting-edge methodologies in microbiome research and functional genomics.

Research Trends: Recent work highlights the role of dietary components like protein, fiber, and probiotics in shaping gut microbiota and metabolic health. Studies utilize swine, mice, and poultry models to investigate mechanisms linking microbiota to inflammation, insulin resistance, and immune function. Kefir and microbial transplantation are key areas for exploring interventions to mitigate chronic diseases.

Advising & Grants: Dr. Willing offers graduate and undergraduate training opportunities in microbiome research and nutrition. Specific grants are not detailed, but his research aligns with funding priorities in agricultural and biomedical microbiology. No formal advisee names are listed in the provided texts.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with research groups within the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, focusing on microbiome-host interactions, metabolic physiology, and translational nutrition science. Active in interdisciplinary projects involving metabolomics and genomics technologies.