Dr. P. Aad is interested in studying hormonal control of the female ovarian follicular cycle, mechanism of multiple ovulations in cattle and female infertility, in addition to heat stress effect on sheep using both molecular and applied methods. Her teaching interests include animal reproduction and endocrinology, biotechnology and bioinformatics, genetics and animal breeding, the use of molecular biology tools for animal research.

Ph.D. in Animal Breeding and Reproduction, Oklahoma State University, USA, 2008.

M.Sc. in Reproductive Physiology Option, Oklahoma State University, USA, 2005.

Diploma in Agricultural Engineering, Lebanese University, Lebanon, 2001.

Refereed Journal Articles

Spicer, L.J. , Sudo, S., Aad, P.Y., Wang, L.S., Chun, S.-Y., Ben-Shlomo, I., Klein, C., and Hsueh, A.J. (2009) The hedgehog-patched signaling pathway and function in the mammalian ovary: A novel role for hedgehog proteins in stimulating proliferation and steroidogenesis of theca cells. Reproduction 138(2):329-39.

Grado-Ahuir, A.J., Aad, P. Y., Ranzenigo, G., Caloni, F., Cremonesi, F., and Spicer, L.J. (2009) Microarray Analysis of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I-induced Changes in mRNA Expression in Cultured Porcine Granulosa Cells: Possible role of IGF-I in Angiogenesis. J Anim Sci. 87:1921-1933.

Lagaly, D. V., Aad, P. Y., Grado-Ahuir, J. A., Hulsey, L.B., and Spicer, L. J. (2008) Role of adiponectin in regulating ovarian theca and granulosa cell function. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 284: 38-45.

Spicer, L. J., Aad, P. Y., Allen, D. T., Mazerbourg, S., Payne, A. H. and Hsueh, A. J. (2008) Growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) stimulates proliferation and inhibits steroidogenesis by bovine theca cells: Influence of follicle size on responses to GDF-9. Biol Reprod. 78: 243-253.

Flannagan, A.M., Brown, J.L., Santiago, C.A., Aad, P.Y., Spicer, L.J., and Spicer, M.T. (2007) High-fat diets promote insulin resistance through cytokine gene expression in growing female rats. J Nutr Biochem. 19: 505-513.

Ranzenigo, G., Caloni, F., Cremonesi, F., Aad, P.Y., and Spicer, L.J. (2008) Effects of Fusarium mycotoxins on steroid production by porcine granulosa cells. Anim Reprod Sci. 107: 115-130.

Spicer, L.J., and Aad, P.Y. (2007) Insulin-like growth factor-II stimulates steroidogenesis and mitosis of bovine granulosa cells through the IGF type I receptor: Role of follicle-stimulating hormone and IGF type II receptor. Biol. Reprod. 77: 18-27.

Spicer, L.J., Aad, P.Y., Allen, D., Mazerbourg, S., and Hsueh, A.J. (2006) Growth differentiation factor-9 has divergent effects on proliferation and steroidogenesis of bovine granulose cells. J. Endocrinol. 189: 329-239.

Aad, P.Y., Voge, J.L., Santiago, C.A.T., Malayer, J.R., and Spicer, L.J. (2006) Real-Time RT-PCR Quantification of Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A Gene Expression in Bovine Granulosa and Theca Cells: Effects of Hormones in vitro. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 31: 357-372.

Santiago, C.A., Voge, J.L., Aad, P.Y., Allen, D.T., Stein, D.R., Malayer, J.R., and Spicer, L.J. (2005) Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A mRNA insulin-like growth factor binding protein expression in granulosa cells of dominant and subordinate follicles of preovulatory cattle. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 28: 46-63.

Voge, J.L., Santiago, C.A.T., Aad, P.Y., Goad, D.W., Malayer, J.R., and Spicer, L.J. (2004) Quantification of insulin-like growth factor binding protein mRNA using real-time PCR in bovine granulosa and theca cells: effect of estradiol, insulin, and gonadotropins. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 26: 241-258.

Voge, J.L., Aad, P.Y., Santiago, C.A.T., Goad, D.W., Malayer, J.R., Allen, D., and Spicer, L.J. (2004) Effect of insulin-like growth factors (IGF), FSH, and leptin on IGF-binding-protein mRNA expression in bovine granulosa and theca cells: quantitative detection by real-time PCR. Peptides 25: 2195-2203.

Conference Proceedings

Grado-Ahuir, J.A., Aad, P.Y., Ranzenigo, G., Caloni, F., and Spicer, L.J. (2008) Microarray analysis of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)-induced changes in mRNA expression in cultured porcine granulosa cells: Possible role of IGF-I in angiogenesis. 45th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology, Rhodes, Greece. Toxicology Letters 180S: S97.

Aad, P.Y., Echternkamp, S.E., and Spicer, L.J. (2008) Evidence for possible involvement of IGF type II receptors (IGF2R) in regulating growth of two concomitant dominant follicles in cattle. ADSA-ASAS joint annual meeting, 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA.

Grado-Ahuir, J.A., Aad, P.Y., Hulsey, L., Lagaly, D., and Spicer, L.J. (2008) IGF-I dependent gene expression in cultured porcine granulosa cells. 19th Annual OSU Research Symposium, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA, pg. 13.

Grado-Ahuir, J.A., Aad, P.Y., Hulsey, L., Lagaly, D., and Spicer, L.J. (2008) IGF-I dependent gene expression in cultured porcine granulosa cells. J. Anim. Sci. (Suppl.): 24. Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists, American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting, Dallas, USA.

Aad, P.Y., Echternkamp, S.E., and Spicer, L.J. (2006) IGF type 2 receptor gene expression in granulosa and theca cells of cattle selected for twin ovulations and births. Society 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Biol. Reprod. (Suppl.): 173.

Spicer, L.J., Aad, P.Y., Allen, D.T., Mazerbourg, S., Sangkuhl, K., and Hsueh, A.J. (2006) Growth differentiation factor-9 stimulates proliferation and inhibits steroidogenesis of bovine theca cell. 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Biol. Reprod. (Suppl.): 190.

Rubio, I., Wettemann, R.P., White, F.J., Aad, P.Y., and Spicer, L.J. (2005) Effect of postpartum nutrition of primiparous beef cows on insulin in follicular fluid and abundance of mRNA for binding proteins (IGFBP) -4 and -5 and aromatase in granulosa cells of dominant follicles. ADSA-ASAS-CSAS 2005 joint annual meeting, Cincinatti, Ohio, USA.  J. Anim. Sci. 83 (Suppl. 1): 243-244.

Spicer, M.T., Aad, P.Y., Flanagan, A.M., Brown, J.L., and Spicer, L.J. (2005) Effect of High Fat Feeding on levels of mRNA for insulin receptor (InsRc), forkhead box O1 (FoxO1), inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate 3-kinase (I3PK), and ribosomal protein S6 kinase (RPS6K) in adipose tissue of growing rats quantified by real-time RT-PCR. The Endocrine Society 87th Annual Meeting, USA, pg. 597.

Aad, P.Y., Santiago, C.A.T., Voge, J.L., J.R. Malayer, and Spicer, L.J. (2004) Effects of IGF-I and –II on pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) gene expression in bovine granulosa and theca cells: Assessment by quantitative RT-PCR. 2004. Joint ASAS ADSA PSA Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. J. Anim. Sci. 82(Suppl. 1): 12.

Aad, P.Y., Santiago, C.A.T., Voge, J.L., Spicer, L.J., and J.R. Malayer. (2004) Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) gene expression in granulosa and theca cells: Differential effects of IGF-1 and -2. 15th Annual OSU Research Symposium, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA, pg. 6.

Aad, P.Y., Santiago, C.A.T., Voge, J.L., and Spicer, L.J. (2004) Hormonal control of pregnancy associated plasma protein-A gene expression in bovine granulosa and theca cells: Quantitation by RT-PCR. The Endocrine Society’s 86th annual meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Santiago, C.A., Voge, J.L., Aad, P.Y., D.T. Allen, D.R. Stein, J.R. Malayer andSpicer, L.J. (2004) Free IGF-I in follicular fluid: Relationship with total IGF-I, IGFBP, and steroids in dominant and large subordinate follicles of preovulatory cattle. Joint ASAS ADSA PSA Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.  J. Anim. Sci. 82 (Suppl. 1): 19.