University of Guelph    
Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock

     
 

Stephen P. Miller
Associate Professor
Ph.D.
email: miller@uoguelph.ca

 Dr. Stephen Miller


Member of the Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock

Current Research

  • Large Whole Genome Scan (Illumina Bovine SNP50 array) for growth, feed efficiency and carcass traits in beef cattle.
    • Collaborative effort with the Alberta Bovine Genomics Program, University of Alberta.
    • International collaboration with USDA Meat Animal Research Centre and the Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Cattle, Australia
  • Development of diagnostics panels of SNP for feed efficiency and meat quality traits (tenderness).
  • Validation of SNP for feed efficiency and meat quality traits in beef cattle.
    • 3 individual projects
  • Genetic evaluation models and improvement program design for feed efficiency in beef cattle.
  • Infrared imaging to predict feed efficiency, heat and methane production in cattle.
  • Methods to evaluate temperament in beef cattle.
  • Genetic evaluation of Canadian sheep.
  • Advanced recording, evaluation and reproductive technologies in beef nucleus herds.
  • Identification of novel selection criteria for the efficient evaluation of body composition, conformation and feed efficiency in the live turkey.
  • Determination of the genetic basis for survival and longevity in the turkey.

Employment

  • 2007-present. Director. Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph.
  • 2004-present.  Associate Professor, Beef Cattle Genetics.  Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph.
  • 1999-2004.  Assistant Professor, Beef Cattle Genetics. Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph.
  • 1998-1999.  Senior Research Associate.  Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock.
  • 1998-1999.  Technical Officer.  Beef Improvement Ontario.
  • 1998, 1995.  Visiting Scientist.  Animal Genetics & Breeding Unit, University of New England, Australia.
  • 1997-1998.  Research Associate.  Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock.

Degrees

Ph.D. 1996 University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Animal breeding and genetics specializing in beef cattle

B.Sc. (Agric.) 1992  University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Major:  Animal & Poultry Science.  Minor: International Agriculture

Refereed Publications

  1. Qanbari, S., D. Gianola, B. Hayes, F. Schenkel, S. Miller, S. Moore, G. Thaller and H. Simianer. 2011. Application of site and haplotype-frequency based approaches for detecting selection signatures in cattle. BMC Genomics 12:318. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-12-318.
  2. Case, L.A., S.P. Miller and B.J. Wood. 2010. Determination of the optimum slaughter weight to maximize gross profit in a turkey production system. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 90:349-356.
  3. Wood, K.M., M.J. Kelly, S.P. Miller, I.B. Mandell and K.C. Swanson. 2010. Effect of crop residues in haylage-based rations on the performance of pregnant beef cows. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 90-69-76.
  4. Montanholi, Y.R., K.C. Swanson, R. Palme, F.S. Schenkel, B.W. McBride, D. Lu and S.P. Miller. 2010. Assessing feed efficiency in beef steers through feeding behavior, infrared thermography and glucocorticoids. Animal 4(5):692-701.
  5. Case, L.A., M.J. Kelly, S.P. Miller and B.J. Wood. 2010. Genotype by environment interaction as it relates to egg production in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). J. Anim. Sci. 88:1957-1966.
  6. Fisher, R.E., N.A. Karrow, M. Quinton, E.J. Finegan, S.P. Miller, J.L. Atkinson and H.J. Boermans. 2010. Endotoxin exposure during late pregnancy alters ovine offspring febrile and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responsiveness later in life. Stress 13(4):334-342.
  7. Montanholi, Y.R., K.C. Swanson, F.S. Schenkel, B.W. McBride, T.R. Caldwell and S.P. Miller. 2009. On the determination of residual feed intake and associations of infrared thermography with efficiency and ultrasound traits in beef bulls. Livest. Sci. 125:22-30.
  8. Core, S., S. Miller, T. Widowski and G. Mason. 2009. Eye white percentage as a predictor of temperament in beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 87:2168-2174.
  9. Mader, C.J., Y.R. Montanholi, Y. Wang, S.P. Miller, I.B. Mandell, B.W. McBride and K.C. Swanson. 2009. Relationships between measures of growth performance and efficiency with carcass traits, visceral organ mass and pancreatic digestive enzymes in feedlot cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 87:1548-1557.
  10. Montanholi, Y.R., N.E. Odongo, K.C. Swanson, F.S. Schenkel, B.W. McBride and S.P. Miller. 2008. Application of infrared thermography as an indicator of heat and methane production and its use in the study of skin temperature in response to physiological events in dairy cattle (Bos taurus). J. Thermal Biol. 33:468-475.
  11. Carvalheiro, R., F.S. Schenkel, L.A. Fries, S.A. de Queiroz and S.P.Miller. 2007. Empirical properties of solutions from Henderson's mixed model equations when sires are non-randomly used across contemporary groups. Rev. Bras. Biom., Sao Paula 25(3):7-21.
  12. Carvalheiro, R.S., F.S. Schenkel, L.A. Fries, S.A. de Queiroz and S.P. Miller. 2007. Alternative genetic evaluation models under parental selection. Brazil. J. Math. Stat. 25(2) :41-57.
  13. Schenkel, F.S., S.P. Miller, Z. Jiang, I.B. Mandell, X. Ye, H. Li and J.W. Wilton. 2006. Association of single nucleotide polymorphism in the calpastatin gene with carcass and meat quality traits of beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 84:291-299.
  14. Bergen, R., S.P. Miller, J.W. Wilton and I.B. Mandell. 2006. Genetic correlations between live yearling bull and steer carcass traits adjusted to different slaughter end points. 2. Carcass fat partitioning. J. Anim. Sci. 84:558-566.
  15. Bergen, R., S.P. Miller, J.W. Wilton, D.H. Crews Jr. and I.B. Mandell. 2006. Genetic correlations between live yearling bull and steer carcass traits adjusted to different slaughter end points. 1. Carcass lean percentage. J. Anim. Sci. 84:546-557.
  16. Bergen, R. , S.P. Miller and J.W. Wilton. 2005. Genetic correlations among indicator traits for carcass composition measured in yearling beef bulls and finished feedlot steers. Can J. Anim. Sci. 85:463-473.
  17. Schenkel, F.S., S.P. Miller, X. Ye, S.S. Moore, J.D. Nkrumah, C. Li, J. Yu, I.B. Mandell, J.W. Wilton and J.L. Williams. 2005. Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the leptin gene with carcass and meat quality traits of beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 83:2009-2020.
  18. Roso, V.M., F.S. Schenkel, S.P. Miller and J.W. Wilton. 2005. Additive, dominance, and epistatic loss effects on preweaning weight gain of crossbred beef cattle from different Bos taurus breeds. J. Anim. Sci. 83:1780-1787.
  19. Roso, V.M., F.S. Schenkel, S.P. Miller and L.R. Schaeffer. 2005. Estimation of genetic effects in the presence of multicollinearity in multibreed beef cattle evaluation. J. Anim. 83:1788-1800.
  20. Wang, Y., F.S. Schenkel, S.P. Miller and J.W. Wilton. 2005. Comparison of models and impact of missing records on genetic evaluation of calving ease in a simulated beef cattle population. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 85:145-155.
  21. Bergen, R., S.P. Miller, I.B. Mandell and W.M. Robertson. 2005. Use of live ultrasound, weight and linear measurements to predict carcass composition of young beef bulls. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 85:23-35.
  22. Roso, V.M., F.S. Schenkel and S.P. Miller.  2004.  Degree of connectedness among groups of centrally tested beef bulls.  Can. J. Anim. Sci. 84:37-47.
  23. Schenkel, F.S., S.P. Miller and J.W. Wilton.  2004.  Genetic parameters and breed differences for feed efficiency, growth, and body composition traits of young beef bulls.  Can. J. Anim. Sci. 84:177-185.
  24. Schenkel, F.S., C.J.B. Devitt, J.W. Wilton, S.P. Miller and J. Jamrozik.  2004.  Random regression analyses of feed intake of individually tested beef steers.  Livest. Prod. Sci. 88:129-142.
  25. F.S. Schenkel, S.P. Miller and J.W. Wilton.  2004. Herd of origin effect on weight gain of station-tested beef bulls. Livest. Prod. Sci. 86:93-103.
  26. R. Bergen, D.H. Crews, Jr., S.P. Miller and J.J. McKinnon.  2003.  Predicting lean meat yield in beef cattle using ultrasonic muscle depth and width measurements.  Can. J. Anim. Sci. 83:429-434.
  27. S.P. Miller.  2002.  Beef cattle breeding programmes:  progress and prospects.  7th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod.  Montpellier, France.  CD-ROM Communication No. 02-18.
  28. C.J.B. Devitt, J.W. Wilton, I.B. Mandell, T.L. Fernandes and S.P. Miller.  2002.  Genetic evaluation of tenderness of the longissimus in multi-breed populations of beef cattle and the implications of selection.  7th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod.  Montpellier, France.  CD-ROM Communication No. 11-34.
  29. V.M. Roso, F.S. Schenkel and S.P. Miller.  2002.  Estimation of the degree of connectedness between test groups of station-tested beef bulls.  7th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod.  Montpellier, France.  CD-ROM Communication No. 02-28.
  30. F.S. Schenkel, C.J.B. Devitt, J.W. Wilton, S.P. Miller and J. Jamrozik.  2002.  Random regression analyses of feed intake of individually tested beef steers.  7th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod.  Montpellier, France.  CD-ROM Communication No. 10-25.
  31. Y. Wang, S.P. Miller, F.S. Schenkel, J.W. Wilton and P.J. Boettcher.  2002.  Performance of a linear-threshold model to evaluate calving ease and birth weight in a multibreed beef population.  7th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod.  Montpellier, France.  CD-ROM Communication No. 17-10.
  32. J.W. Wilton, C.J.B. Devitt and S.P. Miller.  2002.  Sensitivity of rankings of beef sires for non-linear multiple trait breeding objectives.   7th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod.  Montpellier, France.  CD-ROM Communication No. 02-27.
  33. F.S. Schenkel, S.P. Miller, J. Jamrozik and J.W. Wilton.  2002.  Two-step and random regression analyses of weight gain of station-tested beef bulls.  J. Anim. Sci. 80:1497-1507.
  34. C.M. Wade, J.W. Wilton and S.P. Miller.  2001.  Determination of breeding strategies for beef cattle bull breeders selling bulls into two competing markets on a non-linear price grid.  Can. J. Anim. Sci. 81:169-177.
  35. B.J. Hayes and S.P. Miller.  2000.  Mating selection strategies to exploit across- and within-breed dominance variation.  J. Anim. Breed. Genet. 117:347-359.
  36. P.G. Sullivan, J.W. Wilton, S.P. Miller and L.R. Banks. 1999. Genetic trends and breed overlap derived from multiple-breed genetic evaluations of beef cattle for growth traits. J. Anim. Sci. 77:2019-2027.
  37. S.P. Miller and J.W. Wilton. 1999. Genetic relationships among direct and maternal components of milk yield and maternal weaning gain in a multibreed beef herd. J. Anim. Sci. 77:1155-1161.
  38. S.P. Miller, J.W. Wilton and W.C. Pfeiffer.  1999.  Effects of milk yield on biological efficiency and profit of beef production from birth to slaughter.  J. Anim. Sci. 77:344-352.
  39. J.W. Wilton, S.P. Miller and M.T. Lazenby.  1998.  Developments in multiple trait selection practices considering multiple breeds and an optimal product.  Proc. 6th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod. 25:367-370.
  40. S.P. Miller and M.E. Goddard.  1998.  The super-breed approach to modelling additive and non-additive genetic effects between and within breeds in multi-breed evaluations.  Proc. 6th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod. 23:97-100.
  41. M.T. Lazenby, S.P. Miller and J.W. Wilton.  1998.  Effect of a change in price relationships on trait emphasis when selecting commercial beef bulls.  Proc. 6th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod. 25:371-374.
  42. S.P. Miller, J.W. Wilton and S.J. Griffiths.  1995.  Utilizing multi-breed genetic evaluations in beef cattle breeding.  Proc. Aust. Assoc. Anim. Breed. Genet. 11:254.