Editorial Team
Dr. Penelope Banchi
Assistant Professor, Reproductive Physiology in Veterinary Clinical Practice, Aarhus University, Denmark
Dr. Penelope Banchi is a veterinarian and Diplomate of the European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR), specializing in small animal reproduction. She obtained her DVM from the University of Turin (Italy) and her PhD in Veterinary Sciences through Ghent University (Belgium), where her doctoral research investigated the feto-maternal microbiome in dogs and cats. Her research combines clinical veterinary reproduction with molecular and microbiological approaches to better understand reproductive health, fertility, pregnancy, and early-life programming.
Her work has particularly focused on the reproductive microbiome of companion animals, including the vaginal, uterine, semen, and feto-maternal microbial communities of dogs and cats. Her broader research interests include reproductive physiology, maternal-offspring interactions, assisted reproductive technologies, and the cryopreservation of reproductive cells and genetic resources across animal species. She is also actively involved in veterinary education and postgraduate training in animal reproduction.
Main Research Areas
- Reproductive physiology
- Reproductive health
- Maternal-offspring interactions and early-life programming
- Reproductive microbiome and microbiota
- Assisted reproductive technologies
- Responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary reproduction
