Philipe Moriel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Animal Sciences Range Cattle Research and Education Center
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
Philipe Moriel works in the heart of the state’s cattle country. As an animal scientist, he conducts research and outreach at the UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center in Hardee County. His innovative work focuses on cow-calf management and pioneering advancements in beef production.
Moriel’s research emphasizes the necessity of adapting management practices to meet the unique physiological and metabolic needs of Bos indicus- influenced breeds.
“His topic is important to Florida’s agricultural economy as Florida has the 12th largest beef industry in the United States,” said Brent Sellers, director of the center. Sellers said Moriel’s research is making cattle production in Florida more profitable by increasing overall cattle production.
More specifically, Moriel’s program explores novel supplementation methods to enhance reproduction of beef females, gestational nutrition to explore epigenetics and modulate future offspring performance and management strategies to boost health and productivity of growing beef calves.
“My research with cattle tackles critical challenges in productivity, animal health and profitability,” he said. “By developing science-based solutions in areas like nutrition and management, we help producers make informed decisions that enhance herd performance and efficiency. This work supports the cattle industry’s competitiveness and long-term resilience.”
Moriel earned his bachelor’s degree in ruminant nutrition from São Paulo State University in Brazil, his master’s in animal and veterinary sciences from the University of Wyoming and his Ph.D. from UF in 2013. He began his academic career at North Carolina State University as an assistant professor in 2013 before returning to Florida and the center in 2016.
He also mentors students, including serving as a committee member for 14 Ph.D. students and four master’s students, as well as chair or co-chair of three Ph.D. and six master’s students.
Moriel is a prolific researcher. He has earned 66 grants worth $15 million. He has published 118 peer- reviewed manuscripts and received the High Impact Research Publication Award from UF/IFAS in 2024.
Moriel has earned national, regional and industry recognition for research excellence, including the 2022 Early Career Achievement Award from the American Society of Animal Science and the Researcher of the Year Award from the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. In 2020, Moriel won the Christine Taylor Waddill Extension Professional Enhancement Award, which is awarded to extension faculty who promote outstanding educational programs and demonstrate scholarship in extension.