About Me
Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, I attended University of Hawai’i earning my B.S. in Animal Science. During my time in my undergrad, I worked for several projects studying low stress handling, disease management, and shipping stress in beef cattle. Later in undergrad, I led research under USDA’s Children’s Healthy Living Program in Micronesia studying “roaming dogs”. Later, I helped and then managed pharmacokinetic studies in drug development research seeking novel drug therapies to treat Cryptosporidium parvum in calves and children in low-middle income countries. After publishing in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, I became research manager overseeing execution of projects. I was sent to Zambia to help set up logistics for first-in-human trials of C. parvum treatments. Eventually my research interests shifted from infectious disease to nutrition and nutritional management of metabolic diseases. I’m committed to pursuing research that encourages thoughtful interdisciplinary work to promote food security, economic sustainability, and productive efficiency.
Peer Reviewed Publications
preparing G. Graef, A.M. Valeria, V. Ramirez, A. Zapata-Salazar, A. Ceballos, T.R. Overton, F.A. Leal-Yepes. Analysis of calcium status of multiparous Holstein cows and its impact on health and production of Colombian dairy farms. J. Dairy Science
revision G. Graef, A.L. Kerwin, L.N. Ferro, S. Ordaz-Puga, C.M. Ryan, T.A. Westhoff, D.M. Barbano, K.M. Glosson, K.P. Zanzalari, J.D. Chapman, T.R. Overton. Effect of prepartum dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) strategy and level of dietary calcium on peripartum mineral status of multiparous Holstein cows. J. Dairy Science
Graef G, Hurst NJ, Kidder L, Sy TL, Goodman LB, Preston WD, et al. (2018) Impact of confinement housing on study end-points in the calf model of cryptosporidiosis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 12(4)
Conference Papers
3MT Spotlight presentation G. Graef, A.M. Valencia, V.R. Cardona, A. Ceballos-Marquez, T.R. Overton, F.A. Leal-Yepes. Analysis of calcium status of multiparous Holstein cows and its impact on milk production in pasture dairies. Proceedings of American Dairy Science Association; 2024, June 16-19; West Palm Beach, Florida.
accepted poster presentation G. Graef, S. Tompkins, T.R. Overton. Association of subclinical hypocalcemia classification with blood haptoglobin concentrations during the periparturient period. Proceedings of American Dairy Science Association; 2024, June 16-19; West Palm Beach, Florida.
G. Graef, A.L. Kerwin, L.N. Ferro, S. Ordaz-Puga, C.M. Ryan, T.A. Westhoff, D.M. Barbano, K.M. Glosson, K.P. Zanzalari, J.D. Chapman, T.R. Overton. Effect of prepartum dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) strategy and level of dietary calcium on peripartum mineral status of multiparous Holstein cows. Proceedings of American Dairy Science Association; 2022, June 19-22; Kansas City, Missouri. Abstract nr 86419.
G. Graef, A.L. Kerwin, L.N. Ferro, S. Ordaz-Puga, C.M. Ryan, T.A. Westhoff, D.M. Barbano, K.M. Glosson, K.P. Zanzalari, J.D. Chapman, T.R. Overton. Effect of prepartum dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) strategy and level of dietary calcium on peripartum performance of multiparous Holstein cows. Proceedings of American Dairy Science Association; 2022, June 19-22; Kansas City, Missouri. Abstract nr 86419.
L.N. Ferro, A.L Kerwin, C.M. Ryan, G. Graef, T.M. Nelson, H. Green, F. Yang, M. Embree, D.M. Barbano, T.R Overton. Effects of a novel direct fed microbial feed additive on performance of lactating Holstein dairy cows. Proceedings of American Dairy Science Association; 2022, June 19-22; Kansas City, Missouri.
T. Nelson, A. Kerwin, L. Ferro, C. Ryan, G. Graef, T. Westhoff, A. Sipka, S. Mann, D. Barbano, B. Stone, I. Yoon, T. Overton. Relationships of blood-based indices of liver health during the transition period with performance and health outcomes. Proceedings of American Dairy Science Association; 2022, June 19-22; Kansas City, Missouri.
G. Graef, A.L. Kerwin, L.N. Ferro, S. Ordaz-Puga, C.M. Ryan, T.A. Westhoff, D.M. Barbano, K.M. Glosson, K.P. Zanzalari, J.D. Chapman, D.J. McLean, T.R. Overton. Effect of prepartum Dietary Cation-Anion Difference strategy and level of dietary calcium on postpartum Ca status and performance of multiparous Holstein cows. Proceedings of American Dairy Science Association; 2021, July 11-14; Louisville, Kentucky. Abstract nr 84443.
G. Graef, A.L. Kerwin, L.N. Ferro, S. Ordaz-Puga, C.M. Ryan, T.A. Westhoff, D.M. Barbano, K.M. Glosson, K.P. Zanzalari, J.D. Chapman, D.J. McLean, T.R. Overton. Effect of prepartum Dietary Cation-Anion Difference strategy and level of dietary calcium on postpartum Ca status and performance of multiparous Holstein cows. Proceedings Cornell Nutrition Conference; 2021, October 19-21; Syracuse, NY.
