Joshua Clay McCann

Joshua Clay McCann is an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois. He holds affiliate positions at the Center for Digital Agriculture and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). His research focuses on livestock genetics, rumen microbiology, and animal nutrition with emphasis on beef cattle physiology and growth optimization.

Key research areas include genetic markers for lean growth in cattle, rumen fermentation dynamics under nutritional stress, and microbial interactions in livestock. His work integrates computational biology tools from NCSA to analyze genomic and metabolomic data. Collaborations span international institutions studying feed efficiency and antibiotic usage in livestock production.

Recent studies investigate how feed restrictions impact ruminal health and gene expression, as well as the combined effects of feed additives on meat quality and animal metabolism. His publications demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches combining molecular biology with agricultural science.