Christine Elsik

Christine Elsik is a Professor at the University of Missouri, affiliated with the Divisions of Animal Sciences and Plant Science & Technology within the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). Her research focuses on computational genomics and bioinformatics, with expertise in genome annotation and database development for livestock, aquaculture, Hymenopteran insects, and maize. Key projects include the Bovine Genome Database, Hymenoptera Genome Database, and AquaMine.

Dr. Elsik holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from Texas A&M University. She teaches AN_SCI/PLNT_SCI 8430: Introduction to Bioinformatics Programming. Her work is supported by grants from the NSF, USDA, NIH, and the European Union, among others.

Research highlights include telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies of livestock, FAANG data ecosystems, and tools like BovineMine and HymenopteraMine. The Elsik Lab collaborates globally to advance agricultural genomics, emphasizing data integration and functional annotation.

Her contributions span genomic resources for cattle, honey bees, maize, and aquatic species, with a focus on translating genomic insights into practical applications for agriculture and animal health.