 |
Taylor RichardsPosition/Title: PhD Student email: tricha16@uoguelph.ca Phone: (613) 803 3656 Office: ANNU 229
|
Education
BSc. Honours in Animal Biology with a minor in Nutrition and Nutraceuticals
MSc. by thesis in Animal Nutrition, advised by Dr. Anna Kate Shoveller
Currently completing a PhD in Animal Nutrition and Metabolism, advised by Dr. Anna Kate Shoveller
Background
In 2015 I came to the University of Guelph to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Animal Biology, but quickly became interested in nutrition and metabolism and decided to declare a minor in Nutrition and Nutraceuticals. During this time, I was provided a Research Assistantship opportunity under Dr. Anna Kate Shoveller in collaboration with Dr. Adronie Verbrugghe's team that introduced me to several laboratory techniques and allowed me to publish work focused on the relationship between starch source, gastric emptying rate, and its relation to diabetes and obesity in sled dogs. This sparked my passion for research and an interest in graduate studies. Following my BSc., I began an MSc. by thesis under Dr. Anna Kate Shoveller investigating camelina oil as an environmentally sustainable source of omega-3 fatty acids for companion animal diets. Specifically, I focused on its effects on inflammation and oxidation, transepidermal water-loss, and skin and coat parameters, in dogs and horses.
Following my MSc, I began my PhD, which focuses on the effects of supplemental creatine vs. its precursor, guanidinoacetate, on amino acid metabolism, muscle growth, and energy expenditure, in dogs and cats. I am also exploring how these supplements influence cognitive function, exercise performance, and recovery in working dogs.
In the future, I hope to continue to improve the lives of companion and working animals through the exploration of nutritional supplementation.
Featured Publications
[1] Richards T, Braun U, Shoveller, A.K, and Pezzalli, J.G. A comparative analysis of creatine, creatinine, amino acid concentrations and indispensable amino acid scores of grain-free and grain-inclusive commercial extruded adult cat foods. J Anim Physiol and Anim Nutr. 2025.
[2] Richards T & Burron S et al. The balance of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in canine, feline, and equine nutrition: exploring sources and the significance of alpha-linolenic acid. J Anim Sci. 2025.
[3] Richards T, Burron S, McCorkell T, Trevizan L, Patterson K, Minikhiem D, Ma D, Pearson W, Shoveller AK. Effects of dietary CAM, FLX, and OLA oil supplementation on transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin and coat health parameters, and plasma prostaglandin E2, glycosaminoglycan, and nitric oxide concentrations in healthy adult horses. J Anim Sci. 2023.
[4] Richards T, Rankovic A, Cant JP, Shoveller AK, Adolphe JL, Ramdath D, Verbrugghe A. Effect of Total Starch and Resistant Starch in Commercial Extruded Dog Foods on Gastric Emptying in Siberian Huskies. Animals (Basel). 2021 Oct 10;11(10):2928.
[5] Richards T, Burron S, Ma DWL, Pearson W, Trevizan L, Minikhiem D, Grant C, Patterson K, Shoveller AK. Effects of dietary camelina, flaxseed, and canola oil supplementation on inflammatory and oxidative markers, transepidermal water loss, and skin and coat health parameters in healthy adult dogs. Frontiers. 2023.