Aileen Keating, professor in animal science, is the recipient of the faculty 2026 Outstanding Achievement in Research Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. Her research program is centered on how environmental exposures cause ovarian damage that leads to sub-fecundity, infertility and adverse birth outcomes in women and female production animals.
Keating is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in reproductive physiology and toxicology. She has influenced the field by her discoveries of molecular mechanisms of ovarian toxicity and how the ovary responds to toxicant exposures. She has pioneered the exploration of how multiple stressors amplify ovarian toxicity. This work is novel, innovative and draws together her expertise in physiology, reproduction and toxicology.
“Dr. Keating is one of the leading scientists of her generation in the field of animal reproduction,” stated a colleague. “She has made important contributions to our understanding of the biological processes controlling ovarian function and how those processes can go wrong when the female experiences nutritional imbalances, heat stress or exposure to toxicological agents.”