Previous Education:
- MS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- BS, South Dakota State University
Background:
Professor Leiferman is originally from Brookings, South Dakota, where she completed her undergraduate degree in biology and competed as a Division I athlete in the pole vault. She came to Lincoln, Nebraska in 2016 to pursue her graduate degree at UNL and, while there, extensively researched the biology of exosomes and their microRNA cargos in human and bovine milk. Before joining the Bryan team, she taught anatomy and physiology courses at both Nebraska Wesleyan University and Southeast Community College. Outside the classroom, Amy enjoys coaching pole vault and being physically active (triathlons, hiking, rock climbing, yoga etc.). Amy is very passionate about learning and loves teaching science, especially the human body!
Notable Publications Authored/Co-author:
1.) Leiferman A, Shu J, Upadhyaya, B, Cui J, Zempleni J. (2019). Storage of extracellular vesicles in human milk, and microrna profiles in human milk exosomes and infant formulas. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 69(2), 235-238.
2.) Leiferman A, Shu J, Grove R, Cui J, Adamec J, Zempleni J. (2018). A diet defined by its content of bovine milk exosomes and their RNA cargos has moderate effects on gene expression, amino acid profiles and grip strength in skeletal muscle in C57BL/6 mice. J Nutr Biochem, 59, 123-128.
3.) Aguilar-Lozano A, Baier SR, Grove R, Shu J, Giraud D, Leiferman A, Mercer KE, Cui J, Badger TM, Adamec J, Andres A, Zempleni J. (2018). Concentrations of purine metabolites are elevated in human fluids from adults and infants and in livers from mice fed diets depleted of bovine milk exosomes and their RNA cargos. J Nutr, 148(12), 1886-1894.
4.) Leiferman, Amy L. (2017) "Influencing Food Choice: Effects of Stress and Sleep Deprivation on Dietary Habits of Young Adults," The Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 15, Article 7. Available at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/jur/vol15/iss1/7
Professional Service and Recognition:
- Finalist in the American Society for Nutrition's (ASN) Nutritional Sciences Council (NSC) 2017 Graduate Student Research Award Competition, Experimental Biology Meeting 2017, Chicago, IL.
