David Kenny_{BSAS President | Head of Animal & Bioscience Department}

Professor David Kenny is Head of the Teagasc Animal and Bioscience Research Department in Ireland and the current president of the British Society of Animal Science. He has over 25 years of research experience in the biological control of a range of economically important traits to ruminant livestock production systems, including growth and reproductive efficiency, ruminal methanogenesis and the development and functionality of the rumen microbiome. He has supervised the studies of 19 Ph.D. and nine M.Sc. students to completion, as principal supervisor and his research has resulted in the publication of in excess of 200 full length internationally peer reviewed scientific manuscripts and book chapters to-date. He is the president of the Physiology Study Commission of the European Association of Animal Production and is a member of the management board of the international scientific journal, Animal. He has led many large research consortia and is currently co-ordinator of the recently awarded €5m Horizon Europe project, ‘Towards sustainable livestock systems: European platform for evidence building and transitioning policy (STEP UP)’. He was awarded the prestigious Hammond award by BSAS in 2018 in recognition of outstanding contribution to an improved understanding of how nutrition affects the complex underlying biology regulating economically important traits in cattle, including feed efficiency, rumen methane emissions and male and female reproduction.

He runs a beef and sheep farm in County Mayo, in the west of Ireland and is integrally involved, and is well known, within the beef cattle sector and wider agricultural industry in Ireland.

Eduardo Luis Cupertino Ballester _Professor

Graduated in Biology (2000), MSc in Aquaculture (2003) and PhD in Biological Oceanography (2008) at Federal University of Rio Grande - FURG. Since 2010 is a researcher and permanent professor at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). Director of the Research Center of Aquaculture and Sustainable Development - UFPR and Head of the Prawn/Shrimp Culture Laboratory at UFPR. Around 25 years of experience in aquaculture research projects. Authored 85 scientific papers published in indexed journals. Supervised more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree students in Aquaculture. His main current projects are the use of essential oils as anesthetics and food additives for prawn and the use of protein hydrolysates as a source of protein for shrimp and prawn. Has also developed research projects with Biofloc Technology - BFT, shrimp and prawn nutrition, and toxicity of nitrogenous compounds to prawns.

Hilario Mantovani_{Assistant Professor}

Dr. Hilario Mantovani received an M.S. degree in Agricultural Microbiology from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) and earned a Ph.D. degree in Microbiology from Cornell University under the mentorship of the late James B. Russell. Dr. Mantovani developed several academic and scientific activities in Brazil as a faculty member of the Department of Microbiology at UFV and was a visiting scholar at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center. He mentored more than 40 graduate and 20 undergraduate students and served for five years as Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology (UFV). Dr. Mantovani joined the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022.

Dr. Mantovani’s research program is focused on understanding the functions and ecological interactions between anaerobic microbes that colonize the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants. Currently, special attention is given to screening and discovery of new bioactive molecules (notably AMPs) against bacterial pathogens and archaea (methanogens) and the development of microbiome-derived technologies (e.g., bioactive molecules, probiotics, inoculants) for animal health. His research group examines fundamental and applied questions related to the ecology, physiology, and genetics of rumen microbes aiming to unveil their roles in rumen function and host phenotypes. Dr. Mantovani’s research also seeks to understand the mechanisms and drivers of antimicrobial resistance and explore livestock microbiomes for biotechnological purposes, including alternatives to antibiotics. The research goal is to generate knowledge and develop approaches to improve animal health and productivity, promote food safety and enhance the environmental sustainability of livestock production.

Holly Vickery_{Lecturer - Animal Behaviour and Welfare}

Holly is an Animal Behaviour and Welfare scientist with a particular interest in how findings can be practically utilised by stakeholders and is fascinated by applied research, participatory engagement, and science communication. She graduated from the University of Bristol in 2018 with a first-class BSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare and then completed her PhD at the University of Reading titled “The behaviour and welfare of goat kids during the milk feeding stage and weaning transition”. In 2022 her thesis research won the RSPCA/BSAS Prize for Research with Animal Impact by Scientists in Early Career (PRAISE). Currently she is a lecturer at Harper Adams University and has been on the ECC for four years, currently serving as deputy chair. In the future Holly hopes to continue to work on bridging the divide between research and application with a focus on practical higher welfare strategies for farms.

Karl Walsh_{Head of the Research, Bioeconomy & Codex Division}

Dr Karl Walsh is the Head of the Research, Bioeconomy & Codex Division in the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). He grew up on a mixed dairy and beef pasture farm in Ireland. He graduated from University College Dublin (UCD) in 2003 with a degree in Agricultural Science. He then went on to complete a PhD at the Teagasc Grange Beef Research Centre in Meath, Ireland, as well as at UCD. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Policy Analysis from the Institute of Public Administration.

Karl joined the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2007. He worked in a variety of areas, including Livestock Breeding, Production and Trade, Animal Feed and Fertiliser, Research, Economics, and as the Agricultural Attaché in Irelands Embassy to France as well as its multilateral Mission to the OECD. He was appointed Head of the Research, Bioeconomy and Codex Division in 2021.

Mark Garavan_{Senior Lecturer}

Dr Mark Garavan is a Senior Lecturer in the ATU Mayo. He teaches mostly on the Applied Social Care programme. He is the author of Care, Published by Cork University Press in 2024, and of Compassionate Activism: An Exploration of Integral Social Care published by Peter Lang in 2012. He has published academic articles on the environment, dialogue, and on social care practice. He has been a social care worker working with Travellers, young people, and in Mountjoy Prison. He was a Project Leader with Dublin Simon Community from 1989 to 1992, and later managed a facility for young people in Co Carlow. He is currently a Board member of Feasta (The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability) and of Westport Family Resource Centre. He has worked extensively in the field of mental health, supporting the creation of the Mayo Recovery College and conducting a number of research projects into the topic.

Michael Lee_{Deputy Vice-Chancellor}

Professor Michael Lee FRSA FRSB FRASE ARAgS is an expert in sustainable livestock systems, defining their role in securing global food security at the same time as protecting environmental health (Livestock’s role in human and planetary health). He graduated with first class honors in Animal Science from University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1997 and gained a PhD in ruminant nutrition (protein and energy metabolism) from the University of Aberdeen in 2001 followed by Post graduate certificate for teaching in higher education from Aberystwyth University in 2012. In November 2020 Michael moved from Rothamsted Research and the University of Bristol (where he held a joint position) to his current position as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams University, England’s Premier specialist agriculture and land use University. He has published over 375 research articles and papers including articles in Nature and Science. He was awarded the Sir John Hammond Memorial Prize in 2015 for services to Animal Science and fellowships of the Royal Societies of the Arts and Biology in 2019 and 2023, respectively. He was also awarded Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies in 2023 and Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Society of England in 2024. He served on Presidents of the British Society of Animal Science from 2018-2022 and was a Trustee of the society for 12 years. In August 2019, he was elected President of the European Federation of Animal Science Livestock Farming Systems Commission. He represents the UK on Animal Task Force, a Public-Private think-tank informing the EU parliament in Brussels and is co-chair of the UK Universities Climate Network – Net Zero group. In 2023 he was selected to join a Technical Advisory Group of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Prof Lee also sits on the BBC’s Rural Affairs Committee, the Agriculture Advisory Group convened by the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) and the Scientific Council of the World Farmers Organization (WFO).

Michael Watkins_Lecturer

Michael is a Mudburra descendant and holds the role of Lecturer in Aboriginal Allied Health within the University of South Australia, Department of Rural Health. His teaching focusses on developing the cultural capabilities of Nursing and Allied Health students, and their research focussing on the cultural outcomes of engaging with bush foods and traditional knowledges. Michael has a background in rural and remote health practice, teaching and learning in higher education and nutrition and food sciences. He also has a keen interest in developing Aboriginal health curricula and placement opportunities in Aboriginal health settings.

Ridhdhi Rathore _{Research Officer}

Dr Ridhdhi Rathore is a Research Support Officer at Teagasc – Agriculture and Food Development Authority. With her background in Agricultural research and extensive administrative skills, she is supporting Teagasc researchers applying for Irish and EU research grants. Dr. Rathore is particularly passionate about helping early career researchers effectively present their work and secure competitive funding. Her expertise lies in translating complex ideas into clear, engaging and impactful narratives, and she is actively involved in guiding researchers through the grant writing process. At the BSAS Early Career Symposium, she will share practical strategies to enhance writing skills, secure funding success, and captivate diverse audiences.

Scott Graham_{Head of Agriculture}

Scott Graham is an educational leader in Secondary Agriculture with over 15 years of teaching experience, and is now Head of the Agriculture at Barker College in Sydney. During his tenure at Barker, enrolments in Agriculture from Years 9-12 have risen from ~100 students to ~400 students annually. Barker College, located on the north shore of Sydney, now boasts the largest Year 12 Agriculture cohort of any school in Australia, regularly graduating 80-100 students each year—about 6% of the total for the state of New South Wales.

For the past five years, Scott has also been pursuing a part-time PhD in Agricultural Education through Charles Sturt University. His research focuses on improving metropolitan secondary agricultural education to significantly increase enrolments and engagement in the subject, ultimately encouraging more students to pursue related university courses and careers in the sector.