Overview
Background
Dr Elham (Ellie) Assadi Soumeh is a Senior Lecturer in Animal Science and Production at the School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland. She holds a BSc in Animal Science, an MSc in Animal Nutrition, and a PhD in Animal Nutrition and Physiology, with a focus on monogastric species, particularly poultry and swine.
Dr Soumeh completed her PhD at Aarhus University in Denmark, where her research focused on the requirements and metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in weaned pigs and the metabolic profiling of high-performing pigs fed optimal BCAA levels. Following her PhD, she worked as a Senior Scientist at Cargill BV in the Netherlands, leading customer-focused research in monogastric nutrition. Her work there spanned nutrient metabolism, gut health, and nutritional strategies aimed at improving production efficiency.
Her current research explores the role of nutrition in modulating gut microbiota composition and function, and how these microbial shifts influence host metabolism, health, and productivity. She is particularly interested in the interplay between dietary components, gut microbial ecology, and the physiological responses of monogastric animals.
Dr Soumeh's work addresses practical and emerging challenges in animal nutrition, with an emphasis on sustainable feeding practices and precision nutrition. Her research findings have been widely published in high-impact scientific journals and presented at leading international conferences and symposiums.
Availability
- Dr Elham Assadi Soumeh is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor, University of Tabriz
- Masters (Coursework), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
- Doctor of Philosophy, Aarhus University
Research interests
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Nutrition-Microbiota-Host Axis
Investigating the role of diet in shaping gut microbiota composition and function, and its subsequent impact on host metabolism, immunity, and overall health.
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Sustainable and Functional Feed Ingredients
Evaluation of alternative and novel feed ingredients (e.g. insect-based proteins) to improve sustainability and maintain or enhance nutrient digestibility and animal performance.
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Gut Health and Nutritional Physiology
Nutritional strategies to support gastrointestinal integrity, nutrient absorption, and systemic metabolic responses in monogastric animals.
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Amino Acids requirements, metabolism, and nutrition
Amino acids requirements, metabolism, and precision feeding strategies for poultry and swine to optimize growth, health, and production efficiency.
Research impacts
Industry Engagement and Current Collaborative Research:
Alternative ingredients to replace soybean meal in poultry feed Metex Noovistago & UQ:
- Local alternative protein-rich ingredients to replace soybean meal fully or partially in chicken feed
Black Soldier Fly Larvae as a protein feed ingredient in broiler chicken nutrition
- Amino acids ileal digestibility, AMEn, fat digestibility and nutritive value of Full-fat BSFL produced from food waste streams for meat chickens
Industry funded project by Ajinomoto Animal Nutrition Europe SAS:
- Amino acids interventions to reduce the consequences of heat stress in broiler chicken
Industry funded project by Bioproton Pty Ltd:
- Effects of new bacillus strain probiotics and natural biosurfactants on broiler chickens production
- The efficiency of probiotics with or without prebiotics in antibiotic-free poultry production system, mode of actions, and growth performance
- Effects of Multi-enzyme super-dosing on reduced-energy diets on broiler chicken growth performance and gut health
Works
Search Professor Elham Assadi Soumeh’s works on UQ eSpace
2011
Journal Article
Nutrient composition of different varieties of full-fat canola seed and nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy of full-fat canola seed with or without enzyme addition and thermal processing
Assadi, E., Janmohammadi, H., Taghizadeh, A. and Alijani, S. (2011). Nutrient composition of different varieties of full-fat canola seed and nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy of full-fat canola seed with or without enzyme addition and thermal processing. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 20 (1), 95-101. doi: 10.3382/japr.2010-00201
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Elham Assadi Soumeh is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Nutritional strategies to reduce the consequences of coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis challenge on growth performance, gut functionality, and welfare of broiler chickens
An PhD projet is availabe to start in 2025. For further information please contact Dr Ellie Soumeh
e.soumeh@uq.edu.au
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Evaluation of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae as a Protein Source in Broiler Diets
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Eugeni Roura, Associate Professor Daniel Cozzolino, Professor Louw Hoffman
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Doctor Philosophy
Alternative protein ingredients to replace soybean meal for sustainable livestock production systems
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Eugeni Roura, Professor Louw Hoffman
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Doctor Philosophy
Heat Tolerance (HT) in lactating sows: dietary strategies, metabolic biomarkers and microbiome signature
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor John Gaughan, Dr Marta Navarro, Professor Eugeni Roura
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Doctor Philosophy
Extrinsic and intrinsic factors that influence the meat quality of goat fresh meat and products.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nick Hudson, Associate Professor Daniel Cozzolino, Professor Louw Hoffman
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Doctor Philosophy
Program 1 of the Agrifutures Consortium on Chicken Nutrition, Gut Health, and Environment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marta Navarro, Dr Arun Kumar, Professor Chiara Palmieri, Professor Eugeni Roura
Media
Enquiries
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