Biography
Dr. Tao is an associate professor in heat stress physiology and management at the University of Georgia in Tifton. Dr. Tao originally is from Kaifeng, China. He obtained his BS (2004) and MS (2007) degrees from Henan University of Technology in China and his Ph.D. at the University of Florida in 2012. After a 2 year postdoc at the same institution, Dr. Tao joined the University of Georgia – Tifton campus in 2014 as an assistant professor.
B.S. (Agriculture) Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, China
M.S. (Animal Sciences) Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, China
Ph.D. (Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology) University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Description of Research and Extension Interests
The primary research interest in Dr. Tao’s lab is heat stress physiology in dairy cattle. The goals of his research team are to understand how heat stress affects the cow and calf on lactation, growth, metabolism and health by different means, and to explore the management and nutritional strategies to minimize the negative effects of heat stress on cows and calves. The extension program is tied with research and the focus is to utilize different management tools, such as environmental manipulations, heat abatement and nutritional strategies, to enhance the production and health of the cow and calf.
Selected Recent Publications
1. Chen, Y-C., R. M. Orellana Rivas, T. N. Marins, V. Lacerda, Z. Wang, M. Garrick, J. Gao, H. Liu, J. K. Bernard, P. Melendez, and S. Tao. 2023. Effect of heat stress abatement on systemic and mammary inflammation in lactating dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 106:8017-8032. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-23390 (Editor’s choice).
2. Marins, T. N., F. A. Gutierrez Oviedo, M. L. G. F. Costa, Y-C. Chen, H. Goodnight, M. Garrick, D. J. Hurley, J. K. Bernard, I. Yoon, and S. Tao. 2023. Impacts of feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product on productive performance and metabolic and immunological responses during a feed restriction challenge of mid-lactation dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 106:202-218. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-22522
3. Orellana Rivas, R. M., T. Rodrigues, J. Silveira, V. Lacerda, J. Gao, D. Ferreira de Araújo, J. Souza, T. N. Marins, P. Melendez, J. K. Bernard, and S. Tao. 2022. Impact of milk replacer feeding rate and frequency of pre-weaned dairy calves in the Southeastern US: Performance, abomasal emptying, and nutrient digestibility. J. Dairy Sci. 105:1150-1169. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-20287.
4. Orellana Rivas, R. M., T. Rodrigues, J. Silveira, V. Lacerda, J. Gao, D. Ferreira de Araújo, J. Souza, T. N. Marins, P. Melendez, J. K. Bernard, and S. Tao. 2022. Impact of milk replacer feeding rate and frequency of pre-weaned dairy calves in the Southeastern US: Glucose metabolism. J. Dairy Sci. 105:1170-1185. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-20288.
5. Marins, T. N., J. Gao, Q. Yang, R. M. Binda, C. M. B. Pessoa, R. M. Orellana Rivas, M. Garrick, V. H. L. R. Melo, Y-C. Chen, J. K. Bernard, M. Garcia, J. D. Chapman, D. J. Kirk, and S. Tao. 2021. Impact of heat stress and a feed supplement on hormonal and inflammatory responses of dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 104:8276-8289. DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20162
6. Orellana Rivas, R. M., F. A. Gutierrez-Oviedo, G. H. Komori, V. V. Beihling, T. N. Marins, J. Azzone, J. K. Bernard, and S. Tao. 2021. Effect of supplementation of a mixture of gluconeogenic precursors during the transition period on performance, blood metabolites and insulin concentrations and hepatic gene expression of dairy cows. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 272:114791. Doi: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2020.114791.
7. Orellana Rivas, R. M., T. N. Marins, X. Weng, A. P. A. Monteiro, J. Guo, J. Gao, Y-C. Chen, M. W. Woldemeskel, J. K. Bernard, D. J. Tomlinson, J. M. DeFrain, and S. Tao. 2021. Effects of evaporative cooling and dietary Zn source on heat shock responses and mammary gland development in lactating dairy cows during summer. J. Dairy Sci. 104:5021-5033. Doi: 10.3168/jds.2020-19146
8. Marins, T. N., A. P. A. Monteiro, X-S Weng, J-R. Guo, R. M. Orellana, J. K. Bernard, D. J. Tomlinson, J. M. DeFrain, and S. Tao. 2020. Response of lactating dairy cows fed different supplemental zinc sources with and without evaporative cooling to intramammary lipopolysaccharide infusion: Metabolite and mineral profiles in blood and milk. J. Anim. Sci. 98:1-7. doi:10.1093/jas/skaa323.
9. Bernard, J. K., A. F. Kertz, S. Tao, and C. Soderholm. 2020. Effects of replacing finely ground corn with whey permeate on the performance of early and mid-lactating cows. Appl. Anim. Sci. 36:495-502. DOI: 10.15232/aas.2020-02005
10. Tao, S., R. M. Orellana Rivas, T. N. Marins, Y. Chen, J. Gao, and J. K. Bernard. 2020. Impact of heat stress on lactational performance of dairy cows. Theriogenology. 150:437-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.02.048.