Ryan N Dilger

Ryan N. Dilger is a Professor in Animal Sciences, Nutritional Sciences, and the Neuroscience Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds additional appointments as Professor at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and the Center for Digital Agriculture, and is an Affiliate of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), Personalized Nutrition Initiative, and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.

His research integrates neuroscience, animal nutrition, and developmental biology, with a focus on pig models for neurodevelopment, myelin formation, gut-brain interactions, and growth performance. Key areas include translational animal models, nutritional impacts on brain development, and swine nutrition optimization.

His recent publications (2025) consistently explore neurodevelopmental mechanisms in pigs, nutritional interventions, and practical applications in animal agriculture, demonstrating strong cross-disciplinary integration between neuroscience and livestock science.

Awards and honors include:

• ASAS Early Career Achievement Award (2017)
• Bio-Serv Award in Experimental Animal Nutrition (2016)
• Milton L. Sunde Award (2008)
• NACTA Educator Award (2016)