Poultry immunologist Rami Dalloul has been named the R. Harold Harrison Distinguished Professor in Poultry Science at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
The R. Harold Harrison Distinguished Professorship was established through the generosity of the Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation to strengthen the CAES Department of Poultry Science. Dalloul is the first faculty member to hold the newly established professorship.
Dalloul joins the UGA poultry science department August 1, and comes from Virginia Tech, where his research focused on investigating gastrointestinal pathogens of poultry and the molecular mechanisms of enhancing the immune response of birds through diet and environment.
“For decades, Georgia has been the poultry capital of the world. Today, we aim to make Athens the epicenter of poultry science, and we are greatly appreciative of the Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation for helping that become a reality,” said Todd Applegate, head of the CAES Department of Poultry Science. “Dr. Dalloul will move us forward toward that vision, as he has a rich history of building cross-functional teams of key poultry scientists from across the nation.”
Dalloul plans to continue his line of research targeting costly pathogens and diseases that are critical to protecting Georgia's poultry sector — the state's largest agricultural commodity by value.
“Particularly, I will focus on the major issues pertaining to the state industry and stakeholders including parasitic and bacterial diseases, whether persistent or seasonal,” Dalloul said.
Dalloul also aims to promote basic understanding of the poultry immune system by generating resources that are critical to delineating key host-microbe interactions.
“Along with the vast poultry science expertise at UGA, I will integrate additional discovery and application areas to enhance the interdisciplinary poultry program that serves this important animal sector across the state,” he said. “Collectively, such an integrated approach aims to better design prevention and treatment strategies in the field, and train the next generation of poultry scientists and producers.”
A hands-on teacher and mentor, Dalloul works closely with both graduate and undergraduate students to tailor individual training methods. He intends to extend this approach at UGA for student instruction and training to promote poultry science even further within the poultry community.
To learn more about UGA poultry science, visit poultry.caes.uga.edu.
