Nicole Tillquist

Nicole Tillquist is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Connecticut in the Department of Animal Sciences. She earned her BS (2018), MS (2020), and PhD (2023) in Animal Sciences from Colorado State University and the University of Connecticut, respectively. She works in Dr. Kristen Govoni’s lab, focusing on the impacts of maternal nutrition on fetal development and offspring health in ruminant species.

• Education:
  • PhD in Animal Sciences, University of Connecticut (2023)
  • MS in Animal Sciences, Colorado State University (2020)
  • BS in Animal Sciences, Colorado State University (2018)

Her research spans nutrient restriction effects on fetal small intestine development, mineral metabolism in ruminants, and how poor maternal diet impacts offspring growth, feed efficiency, and organ function. She investigates these mechanisms using sheep models to identify pathways like hormonal dysregulation, oxidative stress, and epigenetic modifications.

Her recent work includes multigenerational studies on mitochondrial function and transgenerational effects of maternal nutrition on offspring immune status, glucose tolerance, and microbiome dynamics. She has presented award-winning talks on metabolic programming in sheep and antioxidant interventions in equine health.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Awardee Talk: Poor Maternal Nutrition Impacts Metabolic Factors and Glucose Tolerance in Sheep Offspring (2022)
  • Awardee Talk: Astaxanthin Supplementation Reduces Oxidative Stress in Polo Ponies (2022)

Her work in Dr. Govoni’s lab integrates ruminant nutrition with developmental biology to address how maternal dietary choices program lifelong health in livestock species.