Maria L. Peterson

Dr. Maria L. Peterson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Her research focuses on understanding how maternal nutritional, environmental, and health conditions during pregnancy influence offspring development, with a particular emphasis on pancreatic, muscle, and metabolic programming. She utilizes sheep, cattle, and pigs as model organisms, employing molecular techniques such as next-generation sequencing, RT-PCR, ELISAs, and histological analyses.

Education:

• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Connecticut (2017)
• Ph.D., University of Connecticut (2014)
• M.S., University of Connecticut (2011)
• B.S., University of Rhode Island (2009)

Research Interests:

• Epigenetic mechanisms (e.g., DNA methylation) in maternal-offspring programming
• Impact of maternal nutrition on offspring pancreas, muscle, and cardiovascular systems
• Effects of maternal stress, parasites, and disease on fetal development
• Optimization of livestock management practices in Northeast agriculture

Her work spans from basic science (e.g., multi-omics analyses) to applied research (e.g., pasture-fed sow nutrition). Recent studies explore transgenerational effects of maternal diet and the role of leptin/ghrelin signaling in offspring metabolism.

Labs/Teams: Dr. Peterson leads a lab focused on maternal-fetal programming, collaborating with URI’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences and external institutions.