Staff Profiles : Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences , Aberystwyth University

Profile

Ruth Wonfor joined Aberystwyth University as a Lecturer in 2017. She is an Animal Scientist and teaches domestic animal anatomy and physiology, as well as animal bioethics. Dr Wonfor is the Exam Board Chair for the Department of Life Sciences, Scheme Coordinator for MSc Livestock Science and Link Tutor for the Equine Studies courses at Coleg Gwent. Her research interests focus on the use of cell and tissue culture for in vitro animal models, which she utilises for her interests in cell sources and media formulations for cultured meat production and models of animal diseases to study the host immune response.

Prior to starting her current role, Dr Wonfor obtained a BSc(Hons) in Equine and Human Sport Science in 2011 and MSc in Animal Science in 2013 from Aberystwyth University. Following on from this, she completed a PhD in bovine reproductive immunology and endocrinology in 2016, investigating the immune modulatory role of preimplantation factor in the bovine endometrium. Her PhD research began her interest and expertise in in vitro tissue and cell culture models to investigate immune and endocrine responses. She worked as a Teaching Assistant in IBERS and then as a Knowledge Exchange Fellow in IBERS as part of the Knowledge Exchange Hub and alongside Farming Connect to disseminate scientific research into the agricultural industry. Through this role she wrote a number of technical articles on a wide range of Animal Science topics, as well as being involved in the development of several EIP Operational Groups in Wales.

Teaching

Module Coordinator

Moderator

Lecturer

Coordinator

Tutor

Grader

Attendance Dept Admin

Blackboard Dept Admin

Research

Dr Wonfor's research interests focus on utilising in vitro tissue and cell culture to create mammalian models. Through these expertise, she focuses on two research areas:

Cultured meat: Cell source and media formulations for scalable and sustainable cultured meat production. Current research focuses on utilising production animal physiology and anatomy to support investigations into appropriate sources of efficient and consumer accepted cells for cultured meat and alternative nutrient sources for sustainable, species specific media formulations. Also an interest in standardisation and benchmarking for media formulations.
Animal health: In vitro models to investigate immune responses. Current research focuses on host responses to inflammatory reproductive diseases, such as endometritis, and gastrointestinal parasites. Research utilises either explant tissue, primary cells or cell line models to reduce the use of animals in research. Current projects are focussing on establishing new models, further understanding host immune responses and assessing novel anti-inflammatories.

Research Groups

Sustainable Grassland Systems and Agri-Food

Publications

Shah, IP, Allen, N, Wonfor, R, Al-Fadhli, A, Forde-Thomas, J, Giles, J, Walton, R, Threadgill, MD & Nash, DM 2025, 'Characterisation of components of an extract of hemp and preliminary assessment of anti-inflammatory activity in an ex vivo model of bovine endometritis', South African Journal of Botany , vol. 180, pp. 254-264. 10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.007

Northcote, HM, Wititkornkul, B, Cutress, D, Allen, N, Brophy, P, Wonfor, R & Morphew, RM 2024, 'A dominance of Mu class glutathione transferases within the equine tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata', Parasitology, vol. 151, no. 3, pp. 282-294. 10.1017/S0031182024000015

Giles, JL, Walton, R, Wonfor, R & Nash, D 2023, 'A Novel Tissue Explant Culture Model For Testing of Candidate Treatments for Inflammation of the Uterus in Pigs.', pp. 224.09.

Blanco-Penedo, I, Wonfor, R & Kipling, RP 2022, 'Do animal health models meet the needs of organic and conventional dairy farmers in Spain and the UK on disease prevention?', Veterinary and Animal Science, vol. 15, 100226. 10.1016/j.vas.2021.100226, 10.1016/j.vas.2021.100226

Wititkornkul, B, Hulme, BJ, Tomes, JJ, Allen, NR, Davis, CN, Davey, SD, Cookson, AR, Phillips, HC, Hegarty, MJ, Swain, MT, Brophy, PM, Wonfor, RE & Morphew, RM 2021, 'Evidence of Immune Modulators in the Secretome of the Equine Tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata', Pathogens, vol. 10, no. 7, e912. 10.3390/pathogens10070912

More publications on the Research Portal