Matthew Jevit
Dr. Terje Raudsepp Lab
Entrance year: 2016
Hometown: Horsham, Pennsylvania
“My work focuses on understanding the genetic basis of male development and fertility in agriculturally important animals, this often involves understanding the Y chromosome. Presently, I am sequencing and annotating the Y chromosome of the alpaca and dromedary camel. These animals are culturally and agriculturally important and this work will allow for better management of subfertility in these animals as well as provide insights into the biology of Y chromosome across all mammals.”
Research Specialties
Bioinformatics and Genomics
Medical Genetics-Human and Animal
Why did you choose the Genetics Ph.D. program at A&M?
My M.S. thesis was on the microbiota of the equine hindgut and how it relates to the development of laminitis. I have always been interested in how genetics can be used as a tool to manage livestock and wildlife populations. In my opinion, TAMU is one of the best institutions for this kind of work.
How did the first year of the program help you prepare for your independent research project?
The ability to do rotations, in my opinion, is a huge advantage to any first-year Ph.D. student. At most, students coming into a Ph.D. program have relatively narrow experience working in labs having usually have worked in one lab as an undergraduate or an M.S. student. Rotations help shows you that there are a variety of ways to operate as an independent researcher by exposing a student to various PIs and other grad students, then you can make your own decisions on which strategy will work best for you.
What is at least one big lesson you have learned in the Genetics graduate program that you think is widely applicable to your future pursuits?
Be flexible, not every one of your experiments will work out the way that you think it will.
Fun Facts:
Fuego or Torchy’s?
Fuego
Who was your famous role model growing up?
Theodore Roosevelt has always been a role model of mine. I have always had an interest in the conservation of nature and initially started my career in science as a zookeeper and I worked in conservation biology as well. I worked primarily in the management of predators including bobcat and black bear in western Pennsylvania and snow leopards in Mongolia and Pakistan. Teddy Roosevelt was one of the greatest conservationists that this country has ever produced and a lot of his advancements in conservation are still in place today.