Enrique Omar Castaneda Ph.D. Student Department of Animal Sciences University of Illinois 212 Animal Sciences Lab MC - 630 1207 West Gregory Drive Urbana, IL 61801 Phone: (217) 333-0794 E-mail:  eocastan@uiuc.edu

Enrique was born in  México, where he obtained a bachelor degree in Veterinarian Medicine at the University of Michoacán  in 1992 with the best GPE in his class.  From 1992 to 1994, he pursued a Masters Degree in Swine Nutrition at Ajuchitlán, Querétaro, under Dr. Jose Cuarón (UNAM) advice.  From 1995 to 2001, Enrique worked as a nutritionist at the first company that established the Early Weaning System in commercial facilities (Delta Group – 10,000 sows), gaining wide experience in feed mill manufacturing and the design and development of new products for Pigs, Poultry, Beef, and Dairy cattle.  Enrique is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition, with emphasis on Meat Quality, under the directions of Drs. Mike Ellis and Floyd McKeith at the University of Illinois.  Past research conducted by Enrique using pigs as a model include studies on  lean gain in response to different Protein:Lysine ratios, reduction of excess amino acids and energy in growing phase,  formulation strategies for early weaning-growing-finishing,  and sows, the use of alternative raw material for feed manufacture, use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the use of Ractopamine and Somatotropin. At present, in the Animal Science Department, his research is focused on the impact of manipulation of fatty acid profiles in the diet on meat quality in pigs.