Biography
Dr. Maria R. C. de Godoy, a native of Brazil, received her B.S. degree in Animal Sciences at the University of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Animal Sciences and Animal and Food Sciences with emphasis on companion animal and comparative nutrition at University of Illinois and the University of Kentucky in 2007 and 2011, respectively. For a time, Dr. Godoy worked at the University of Kentucky as Research Coordinator for the Companion Animal Nutrition Program. During her doctoral program, she also completed a Certificate in College Teaching and Learning. In 2012-2013, Dr. Godoy worked as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois in the field of companion animal and comparative nutrition, and in 2014 was promoted to Visiting Assistant Professor. Dr. Godoy joined the Department of Animal Sciences as an Assistant Professor of Companion Animal and Comparative Nutrition in August, 2015. Her research focuses on companion animal and comparative nutrition; use of nutraceuticals to improve health and manage clinical conditions of pet animals; ingredient evaluation, foodomics, and pet food technology. Dr. Godoy’s research program has received grant support from federal funding agencies, commodity associations, and the private sector. Her research expertise and scientific contributions to the field of companion animal and comparative nutrition have received national and international recognition, as indicated by the number of invited presentations at national and international conferences in the U.S., Europe, and South America. She has over 30 peer-reviewed publications and more than 6 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in two land grant universities. She has been involved in the development, implementation, and teaching of several courses for undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois. Dr. Godoy takes pride in having her name consistently added to the University of Illinois “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students”.
Research Interests
Dr. Godoy’s research program has three focus areas: 1) ingredient evaluation and foodomics; 2) pet food technology; and 3) therapeutic nutrition. Our laboratory uses analytical methods, in vitro assays, and alternative animal models to characterize the nutritional value and safety of traditional, novel, and alternative ingredients used in human foods and animal feeds. Our goal is to assist the food and feed industries to diversify their ingredient portfolio, explore new market opportunities, and create more sustainable solutions. Pet food technology is a new research dimension brought by Dr. Godoy to the Companion Animal Nutrition Program at the University of Illinois. In this area, our interest is in achieving a deeper understanding of the impact of food processing on the nutritional quality and safety of pet foods. Another important component of our research is to examine how nutrition relates to the prevention or management of diseases. Our research efforts focus on key nutritional factors and their target levels based on specific life stage, physical activity, environmental conditions, and presence or absence of clinical conditions. Dr. Godoy’s laboratory also uses “omics” technologies (i.e., metabolomics, microbiomics, nutrigenomics) as tools to understand the interface between nutrition and health. Ultimately, the integration of the various components of our research will allow the development of nutritional strategies that will be used to improve the quality of life of pet animals, and to manage or postpone the onset of chronic diseases. The findings obtained from canine and feline nutrition studies also can be used as translational information, as these animals share many similarities with humans, including environment, diet, and gastrointestinal anatomy-physiology.
Education
- Ph.D., 2011, University of Kentucky, Lexington
- M.S., 2007, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- B.S., 2003, University of State of Sao Paulo, Botucatu (Brazil)
Additional Campus Affiliations
Feed Technology Center Faculty Fellow, Animal Sciences
Associate Professor, Animal Sciences
Associate Professor, Nutritional Sciences
Affiliate, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
Recent Publications
Hsu, C., White, B., Lambrakis, L., Oba, P. M., He, F., Utterback, P., Parsons, C. M., & de Godoy, M. R. C. (2024). Green banana flour as a novel functional ingredient in retorted feline diets. Journal of animal science, 102, Article skae039. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skae039
Hsu, C., Marx, F., Guldenpfennig, R., Valizadegan, N., & de Godoy, M. R. C. (2024). The effects of hydrolyzed protein on macronutrient digestibility, fecal metabolites and microbiota, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers, and skin and coat quality in adult dogs. Journal of animal science, 102, Article skae057. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skae057
Kayser, E., Castaneda, P. L., Soto - Diaz, K., Steelman, A. J., Murphy, A., Spindola, M., He, F., & de Godoy, M. R. C. (2024). Functional properties of Ganoderma lucidum supplementation in canine nutrition. Journal of animal science, Article skae051. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skae051
Clark, S. D., Hsu, C., McCauley, S. R., De Godoy, M. R. C., He, F., Streeter, R. M., Taylor, E. G., & Quest, B. W. (2023). The impact of protein source and grain inclusion on digestibility, fecal metabolites, and fecal microbiome in adult canines. Journal of animal science, 101, Article skad268. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad268
Finet, S., He, F., Utterback, P. L., Parsons, C. M., & de Godoy, M. R. C. (2023). Nutrient profile, amino acid digestibility, true metabolizable energy and indispensable amino acid scoring of whole hemp seeds for use in canine and feline diets. Journal of animal science, Article skad106. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad106