CAHNRS > People Directory > Zachary Seekford

Zachary Seekford

  1. Assistant Professor
Email Addresszachary.seekford@wsu.edu
LocationVBR 131
Phone509-335-2135

Biography

The research in my laboratory utilizes cutting edge cellular and molecular biology techniques to study livestock reproduction. We are interested in understanding the unique relationships between the reproductive and immune systems within the female reproductive tract that may mediate subfertility and pregnancy loss in dairy cows. In particular, we are working to elucidate the populations and functions of uterine immune cells during pregnancy; understand how in vitro produced embryos differ from their in vivo counterparts; establish the mechanisms of how dairy cows develop uterine diseases such as metritis and endometritis and target potential therapies for mitigating disease induced subfertility; and utilize the immune system as a means of predicting fertility status in dairy females.

Specific research areas

  • Establishing “normal” and “abnormal” endometrial immune profiles during pregnancy.
  • Understanding how assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF alter embryonic-maternal interactions.
  • Determining the mechanisms of bovine uterine disease establishment and disease mediated subfertility.
  • Utilizing the maternal immune system as a predictor of fertility or subfertility.

Selected publications

  • Seekford, Z.K., Tariq, A., Haimon, L.J., Hoorn, Q.A., Macy, G.H., Zhai, Y., Block, J., Rabaglino, M.B., Santos, J.E.P., Jeong, K.C., Hansen, P.J., Bromfield, J.J. “Induced endometritis perturbs the endometrial transcriptome and reduces oocyte development in bovine.” 2026.
  • Seekford, Z.K., Wohlgemuth, S.E., Sheldon, I.M., Bromfield, J.J. “Exposure of bovine granulosa cells to lipopolysaccharide reduces progesterone secretion during luteinization.” Biology of Reproduction. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioaf055
  • Tariq, A., Seekford, Z.K., Bromfield, J.J. “Inflammation during oocyte maturation reduces developmental competence and increases apoptosis in blastocysts.” Biology of Reproduction. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioae180
  • Seekford, Z.K., Tariq, A., Macay, G.A., Jenkins, K.M., Dickson, M.J., Melo, G.D., Pohler, K.G., Sheldon, I.M., Bromfield, J.J. “Uterine disease is associated with contemporaneous perturbations to ovarian function.” 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.10.028
  • Seekford, Z.K., Wooldridge, L.K., Dias, N.W., Timlin, C.L., Sales, A.F., Pohler, K.G., Cockrum R.R., Mercadante, V.R.G., Ealy, A.D. “Interleukin-6 supplementation improves post-transfer embryonic and fetal development of in vitro-produced bovine embryos.” Theriogenology. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.04.004
  • Ealy,D. and Seekford, Z.K., Symposium Review: Predicting Pregnancy loss in Dairy Cattle. Journal of Dairy Science. 2019. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-17176