Hasan Khatib
Associate Chair & Professor - Genetics & Epigenetics
Research/Instruction
1675 Observatory Dr
546 Animal Sciences
Madison, WI 53706

Hasan Khatib is a professor of genetics and epigenetics. He earned his BS in Biology, MS in Human Genetics, and Ph.D.in Genetics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Afterward, he worked in the Department of Genetics at the Hebrew University as a post-doctoral fellow and as a research scientist.
Dr. Khatib currently has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of embryonic development, male fertility, production traits, epigenetics, and nutritional epigenetics. His papers have appeared in the BMC Genomics, PloS one, Science, Genome Research, Animal Genetics, Journal of Dairy Science, Journal of Animal Science, Mammalian Genome, Epigenetics and other journals.
The current research of Khatib lab is focused on the characterization of genes and epigenetic markers as predictors of embryo development using non-invasive methods, investigating the effects of maternal and paternal nutrition on the transcriptome and epigenome of the offspring. Methods used in our lab include genome-wide association studies, RNA-Seq, DNA methylation, CRISPR, microRNAs and RNAi.
Selected Peer-Reviewed Articles
Roudbar MA, Mousavi SF, Ardestani SS, Lopes FB, Momen M, Gianola D, Khatib H. 2021. Prediction of biological age and evaluation of genome-wide dynamic methylomic changes throughout human aging. G3 (Bethesda). 2021 Apr 7:jkab112. doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab112. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33826720
Khatib H. 2021. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in farm animals: How substantial is the evidence?. Livestock Science (in press)
Gross N, Taylor T, Crenshaw T, Khatib H. 2020. The Intergenerational Impacts of Paternal Diet on DNA Methylation and Offspring Phenotypes in Sheep. Front. Genet., 11:597943
Gross N, Peñagaricano F, Khatib H. 2020. Integration of whole-genome DNA methylation data with RNA sequencing data to identify markers for bull fertility. Anim Genet. 51(4):502-510. (1) Gross N, Strillacci MG, Peñagaricano F, Khatib H (2019) Characterization and functional roles of paternal RNAs in 2-4 cell bovine embryos. Sci Rep. 9(1):20347.
Khatib H, Gross N (2019) Embryo survival: a genomic perspective of the other side of fertility. J Dairy Sci. 102:3744–3753.
Namous H, Peñagaricano F, Del Corvo M, Capra E, Thomas DL, Stella A, Williams JL, Marsan PA, and Khatib H (2018). Integrative analysis of methylomic and transcriptomic data in fetal sheep muscle tissues in response to maternal diet during pregnancy. BMC Genomics 19(1):123.
Gross N, Kropp J, and Khatib H (2017) Sexual Dimorphism of miRNAs Secreted by Bovine In vitro-produced Embryos. Front. Genet. 8:39.
Kropp J, Carrillo JA, Namous H, Daniels A, Salih SM, Song J, and Khatib H (2017) Male fertility status is associated with DNA methylation signatures in sperm and transcriptomic profiles of bovine preimplantation embryos. BMC Genomics 18:280.
Kropp J and Khatib H (2015) Characterization of microRNA in bovine in vitro culture media associated with embryo quality and development. J. Dairy Sci. 98:6552-6563.
Peñagaricano F, Wang X, Rosa JM G, Radunz E A, and Khatib H (2014) Maternal nutrition induces gene expression changes in fetal muscle and adipose tissues in sheep. BMC Genomics 15:1034.
Peñagaricano F, Souza AH, Carvalho PD, Driver AM, Gambra R, Kropp J, Hackbart KS, Luchini D, Shaver RD, Wiltbank MC, and Khatib H (2013) Effect of Maternal Methionine Supplementation on the Transcriptome of Bovine Preimplantation Embryos. PLoS One 8(8):e72302.
Driver A, Huang W, Kropp J, Peñagaricano F, and Khatib H (2013) Knockdown of CDKN1C (p57kip2) and PHLDA2 results in abnormal development of bovine pre-implantation embryos. PLoS One 8(7): e69490.
Lan X, Cretney EC, Kropp J, Khateeb K, Berg MA, Peñagaricano F, Magness R, Radunz AE, and Khatib H (2013) Maternal diet during pregnancy induces transcriptomic and epigenomic changes in fetal tissues in sheep. Front. Gene. 4:49.
Driver AM, Peñagaricano F, Huang W, Ahmad KR, Hackbart KS, Wiltbank MC, and Khatib H (2012) RNA-Seq analysis uncovers transcriptomic variations between morphologically similar in vivo- and in vitro-derived bovine blastocysts. BMC Genomics 13:118.
Selected Book Chapters
Ibeagha-Awemu EM and Khatib H (2017) Epigenetics of Livestock Breeding. Handbook of Epigenetics: The New Molecular and Medical Genetics. Edited by: Trygve Tollefsbol. Elsevier Science Publishing Co Inc, pp. 441-457. ISBN: ISBN: 9780128053881
Khatib H (Editor) Molecular and Quantitative Animal Genetics. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. (2015).
Khatib H (Editor)(2012). Livestock Epigenetics. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK.
Coordinator of the special issue “Morris Soller: Energizing Animal Breeding & Genetics”. Animal Genetics 43, Issue Supplement s1, Pages 1–113 (2012)
Driver A, Huang W, and Khatib H (2012). Roles of Imprinted Genes in Fertility and Promises of the Genome-Wide Technologies. Livestock Epigenetics. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK, pp. 43-57
Bagnato A, Khatib H, Ajmone-Marsan P, Schiavini F, Lipkin E (2007). Achievements of research in the field of molecular genetics – Recent advance and perspectives in cattle genome discovery and in application of genomic selection to breeding plans. In WAAP book of the year 2006, Animal production and Animal Science Worldwide. Wageningen Academic Publishers, The-Netherlands
Gruenbaum Y, Frumkin A, Rangini Z, Revel E, Yarus S, Margalit Y, Khatib H, Darvasi A, and Fainsod A (1993). Chox-cad Characterization and Rooster Sperm Preservation as a First Step in the Generation of Transgenic Chickens with Modified Homeobox Genes in: Manipulation of The Avian Genome. CRC Press, pp. 151-164.
Selected Presentations
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance: How Strong is the Evidence? 37th International Society for Animal Genetics Conference. Universitat de Lleida, Spain, July 11, 2019
Transgenerational Epigenetic Effects of Nutrition. Michigan State University, May 7, 2019
Genetics and Epigenetics of male fertility. Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey, March 6, 2019
Does diet affect the traits of the next generations? Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey, March 7, 2019
The Identification of Biomarkers for Atherosclerosis using the Rapacz Swine Model. The Plant and Animal Genome Meeting, San Digo, CA, January 11, 2019.
Embryo survival: the other side of fertility; a genomic perspective. American Dairy Science Association meeting. Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, June 26, 2018.
Effects of maternal diet on traits of the next generations. Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. Obihiro, Japan, June 4, 2018.
The development of non-invasive biomarkers for embryo development and male fertility. Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan, June 8, 2018.
The Role of Epigenetics in Male Infertility. Genetics Institute, The University of Florida, USA, March 14, 2018.
Series of lectures on molecular genetics and molecular techniques applications in agricultural research, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (UNTRM), Chachapoyas, Peru, December 2-9, 2017
Applications of epigenetics in human health and animal production. The University of Milan, Italy, November 27, 2017.
Applications of Epigenetics in Fertility Research. Bioinformatics Institute, Denmark Technical University, Denmark, November 10, 2017.
Epigenetic signatures of early embryonic development and fertility in cattle. The Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany, November 6, 2017.
Genetics and epigenetics of male fertility. The Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 6, 2017.
Integrative analysis of methylomic and transcriptomic data in fetal sheep muscle tissues in response to maternal diet during pregnancy. International Society of Animal Genetics Meeting (ISAG), Dublin, Ireland July 13, 2017.
Undergraduate Courses
AN SCI/DY SCI 361 – Introduction to Animal and Veterinary Genetics (2 credits, Spring)
Course Description: The molecular basis for inheritance of monogenic and polygenic traits related to animal disease and production. An introduction to the principles of improving animal health and performance by selection and mating systems in companion animals, horses, livestock, and poultry.
Requirements: Genetics 160 or 466 or con reg course in statistics.
AN SCI/DY SCI 362 – Veterinary Genetics (2 credits, Spring)
Course Description: The genetic basis for predisposition to disease or resistance to disease in livestock and companion animal species. Genetic defects, their discovery, diagnosis and treatment.
Requirements: Dy Sci/AN SCI/DY SCI 361; or Genetics 160 or 466 Zool/Bot 152
AN SCI 435 – Animal Sciences Proseminar (2 credits, Fall)
Course Description: Methods of assessing information quality are studied. Each student develops an analytical and critical seminar on a topic of personal interest in the animal sciences.
Requirements: Senior Standing
CALS Facilities Committee
Animal and Dairy Sciences Climate and Diversity Committee
Animal and Dairy Sciences Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Organizer and Chair of the Animal Epigenetics workshop; Plant & Animal Genome Meeting, San Diego, CA
Organizer of the Animal Epigenetics Workshop; International Society of Animal Genetics Meeting
Review Editor, Frontiers in Genetics