Rajadurai Rajamahendran

McGill University, 1976, PhD

McGill University, MSc

Ceylon, BVSc

The current research interests of Dr. Rajamahendran’s group are to:

1. investigate GnRH-R and GnRH systems in ovaries, reproductive tracts, gametes and early embryos in the bovine using molecular techniques and understand it’s role in ovarian / oviduct / uterine function, sperm function, fertilization, and early embryo development,
2. study the reasons for reduced fertility in postpartum dairy cows by comparing in vivo and in vitro progesterone synthesis, genes associated with corpus luteum function, embryo quality, and uterine environment, of dairy heifers and lactating cows,
3. develop reproductive technologies to advance postpartum ovarian activity, for timed artificial insemination, and to reduce early embryonic mortality in dairy cattle, and
4. develop in-vitro tests to predict fertility of dairy bulls in the field. Research funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, British Columbia Investment Agriculture Foundation, and Westgen Endowment Fund.

Research Group Members

Anusha Balendran

Raveender Singh

Miriam Gordon

Ruwanie Perera

Pretheeban Thavaneetharajah

Madan P, Bridges PJ, Komar CM, Beristian AG, Rajamahendran R, Fortune JE and MacCalman CD. 2003: Expression of messenger RNA for ADAMTS subtypes changes in the periovulatory follicle after the gonadotropin surge and during luteal development and regression in cattle. Biology of Reproduction 69: 1506-14.

Aali M, Small JA, Giritharan G, Ramakrishnappa N, Cheng K and Rajamahendran R. 2004: In vitro assessment of corpus luteum functions in cattle following OVSYNCH and CIDR ovulation synchronization protocols. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 84:721 – 724.

Ramakrishnappa N, Rajamahendran R, Lin YM and Leung PCK. 2005: GnRH GnRH-R systems in non-hypothalamic reproductive tissues. “Invited review paper for a special issue on “GnRH in Domestic Animal Reproduction”. Animal Reproduction Science 88 (1-2): 95-113.

Ambrose JD, Kastelic JP, Rajamahendran, R, Aali M and Dinn N. 2006: Progesterone (CIDR) based timed AI protocols using GnRH, porcine LH or estradiol cypionate for dairy heifers: ovarian and endocrine responses and pregnancy rates. Theriogenology 64: 1457-1474. Giritharan G, Ramakrishnappa N, Aali M, Madan P, Balendran A, Singh R and Rajamahendran R. 2007: Paternal influence on apoptosis, and expression of Bcl2, Bax, p53, heat shock protein – 70 and interferon tau genes in bovine perimplantation embryos. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 87(2) 157-165.

Singh R, Graves ML, Roskelley CD, Giritharan G and Rajamahendran R. 2007: Gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor gene and protein expression and immunohistochemical localization in bovine uterus and oviducts. Domestic Animal Endocrinology,www.sciencedirect.com, doi: 10.1016/j.domainiend.2007.09.004