** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE THE NIFA FELLOW ADVANCED TRAINING OFA CAREER AS A VETERINARY SCIENTIST IN ACADEMIA. CURRENTLY, THERE IS A NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF VETERINARY SCIENTISTS, WITH LESS THAN 5% OF VETERINARY GRADUATES PURSUING A PH.D. THE TRAINING SUPPORTED BY THIS FELLOWSHIP WILL PREPARE THE NIFA FELLOW FOR A TENURE-TRACK POSITION AT A LAND-GRANT RESEARCH INTENSIVE UNIVERSITY.HIGH PREWEANING MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ARE THREATS TO THE SUSTAINABILITY THE US DAIRY INDUSTRY. VACCINES ARE AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR REDUCING DISEASE;HOWEVER, VACCINE EFFICACY IN NEONATES IS A MAJORCHALLENGE.IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE IMMUNE FUNCTIONOF DAIRY CALVES IS LIMITED BY OXIDATIVE STRESS, WHICH IS THE CELLULAR DAMAGE THAT RESULTS FROM AN IMBALANCE OF PRO AND ANTIOXIDANTS.MICRONUTRIENTS, SUCH AS VITAMINS AND MINERALS, ARE ABLE TO COMBAT OXIDATIVE STRESS. ZINC IS AN ESSENTIAL MICRONUTRIENT THAT CONTRIBUTES TO PREVENTING OXIDATIVE STRESS AND PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING IMMUNE CELL FUNCTION IN HUMANS.THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL INVESTIGATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION CAN IMPROVE IMMUNE CELL FUNCTION IN DAIRY CALVES. IMMUNE CELLS FROM DAIRY CALVES WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE WHICH FUNCTIONS CAN BE TARGETED BY ZINC. AFTER CANDIDATE IMMUNE FUNCTIONSHAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, ZINC WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED TO DAIRY CALVES TO DETERMINE THE CAPACITY FOR ZINC TO IMPROVE DAIRY CALF VACCINE RESPONSIVENESS. THIS WORK WILL ENHANCE AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH IMPROVED CALF HEALTH.