Katie Wood
Biography
Prof. Katie Wood developed a passion for animal agriculture through her family’s cow/calf operation and her involvement in 4-H. She earned her B.Sc. in Agriculture (2007), M.Sc. in ruminant nutrition (2009), and Ph.D. in ruminant nutrition and physiology (2013) from the University of Guelph, where she is now a faculty member. Katie completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Saskatchewan, focusing on gut barrier function, nutrient absorption, and metabolic disease in ruminants. Her research aims to improve feed efficiency and sustainability in the Canadian beef industry by studying biological mechanisms affecting feed efficiency, particularly during the finishing period of beef steers. She also explores how late-gestational protein intake influences cow health and production. Katie’s work combines animal feeding experiments with molecular technologies, supported by funding from the Beef Cattle Research Council and other organizations. Outside of research, she breeds and shows Simmental cattle and Polled Dorset sheep.