Staff Profile:Dr Jennie Litten-Brown

Name:

Dr Jennie Litten-Brown

Job Title:

Lecturer in Animal Science

Responsibilities:

• Course Director and Admissions Tutor: BSc Animal Science
• SAPD School Liaison Officer
• Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Link Representative

Areas of Interest:

My teaching covers many aspects of Animal Science, from animal production and the livestock element of organic farming through to companion and captive animals and my areas of interest are just as broad and varied.I am also involved in outreach activities with many schools for more details see http://www.reading.ac.uk/apd/ug/apd-ugforteachers.asp

Recent and Current Research Activities:

I am interested in the area of animal health and welfare. In my research I have used the pig as a model for maternal and neonatal human research, particularly to gain a greater understanding of the role of fatty acids in brain development and the consequences for behaviour. I was interested in this area for the obvious benefits it could have for human health but also for the benefits to the pig industry in terms of animal welfare and improved performance of the sow and her offspring. In addition, I have also recently become involved in the study of the behaviour of ring-tailed lemurs in relation to different enclosure designs at zoological parks, work which will be presented at the British Society of Animal Science’s annual conference by my student.

Research groups / Centres:

Publications:

A selection of my publications:

• Litten J.C., Drury, P.C., Corson A.M., Lean I.J. and Clarke L. 2003. The influence of piglet birth weight on physical and behavioural development in early life. Biology of the Neonate. 84:311-318.
• Litten J.C., Corson A.M., Hall A.D. and Clarke L. 2004. The relationship between growth performance, feed intake and carcass quality of different maternal and paternal lines of pigs. Livestock Production Science. 89 33-39.
• Litten J.C., Mostyn A., Perkins K.S., Corson A.M., Symonds M.E. and Clarke L. 2005. The effect of administration of recombinant human leptin during the neonatal period on the plasma concentration and gene expression of leptin in the piglet. Biology of the Neonate. 87: 1-7.
• Litten J.C., Mostyn A, Laws J, Corson A.M., Symonds M.E. and Clarke L., 2008. Effect of acute administration of recombinant human leptin during the neonatal period on body temperature and endocrine profile of the piglet. Neonatology. 93; 171-177
• Mostyn A., Litten J. C., Perkins K. S., Alves-Guerra M., Pecqueur C., Miroux B., Symonds M. E. and Clarke L. 2004. Influence of genotype on the differential ontogeny of uncoupling protein 2 and 3 in subcutaneous adipose tissue and muscle in neonatal pigs. Journal of Endocrinology. 183: 121-131.
• Mostyn A., Litten J. C., Perkins K. S., Euden P.J., Corson A.M., Symonds M. E. and Clarke L., 2005. Influence of size at birth on the endocrine profiles and expression of uncoupling proteins in subcutaneous adipose tissue, lung and muscle of neonatal pigs. American Journal of Physiology Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 288: R1531-R1542
• Mostyn A., Litten J. C., Perkins K. S., Euden P.J., Corson A.M., Symonds M. E. and Clarke L., 2005. Influence of size at birth on the endocrine profiles and expression of uncoupling proteins in subcutaneous adipose tissue, lung, and muscle of neonatal pigs. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 288(6): R1536-1542.

Qualifications:

BSc Hons (Biology with Computer Science and IT)
MSc (Sustainable Agric)
PhD DIC (The role of leptin throughout the lifecycle of the pig)
PGCE (Secondary Science)