Early Career Council Members

Paul Smith

Chair, Trustee

Paul Smith Chair, Trustee

Paul is a Beef Research officer, based in Teagasc Grange in Ireland. Paul’s work is primarily focused on developing strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle, as well as understanding the role of the rumen microbiome in sustainable livestock production. After completing a Walsh Scholar PhD in 2021, with Teagasc and University College Dublin (UCD), titled “Understanding the interactive role of the rumen microbiome with diet and enteric emissions in cattle”, Paul undertook a Post-Doctoral Research position with Teagasc (EU funded HoloRuminant project), before being appointed a permeant researcher. Prior to commencing his PhD, Paul completed his undergraduate studies, in Animal Science, at UCD and subsequently worked as an Agricultural Policy Officer for the Irish young farmer organisation, Macra na Feirme. Paul has been a BSAS member since 2018 and has acted as the Teagasc representative on the Early Career Council (ECC). Of recent, Paul has played a key role in the establishment of the ECC Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with farm organisations across the UK and Ireland.

Lucy Ross

Deputy Chair

Lucy Ross Deputy Chair

Contact Email: Lucy.Ross@nottingham.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: University of Nottingham

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Production

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Dairy Cows

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: I am doing a PhD researching heifer rearing and whole-farm feed efficiency in UK dairy systems in partnership with AHDB.

Viola Farci

Council Member

Viola Farci Council Member

Contact Email: v.farci.1@research.gla.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: University of Glasgow

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Nutrition and Health

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Horses and Cattle

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: My PhD project is focused on the effect of feed processing on digestibility and microbiome of horses and ruminants

Annie Williams

Council Member

Annie Williams Council Member

Contact Email: awilliams@agrimin.co.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: I work from home in Shropshire but our main office is in North Lincolnshire

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Nutrition

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Sheep & Cattle

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: I work as Export Manager & Technical Support at Agrimin. Our main focus is mineral bolus technology and my role is in Europe with technical support for our UK based sales tea

Hayley Marshall

Council Member

Hayley Marshall Council Member

Contact Email: Hayley.Marshall1@nottingham.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: University of Nottingham

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Health & Disease

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Sheep

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: I am a PhD student working to optimising the use of footbathing for the prevention of lameness in sheep.

Victoria Lindsay

Council Member

Victoria Lindsay Council Member

Contact Email: Victoria.lindsay-mcgee@ed.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Equine science, particularly genetics/genomics and clinical data modelling

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Horses

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: I am teaching track staff teaching equine exercise physiology, genetics, statistics and horse husbandry to PGT and UG students – my research interests include equine genetics, equine complex disease, equine muscle, and data modelling including using retrospective clinical data.

Eric Newton

Council Member

Eric Newton Council Member

Eric is based at the University of Reading, completing a PhD aimed at further understanding the nutritional and microbiological implications concerning the introduction of alternative source phycological supplementation of dairy cattle for consumers and the public health.

Holly Vickery

Council Member

Holly Vickery Council Member

Contact email: h.m.vickery@reading.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: The University of Reading

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Behaviour and welfare

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Goats

Q: In one sentence explain the focus of your PhD/job

A: My PhD is focused on understanding the behaviour and welfare of goat kids during the milk feeding stage and weaning transition. I am also a Graduate Teaching Assistant with the Department of Animal Science and convene the Animal Welfare module.

Hazel Rooney

Council Member

Hazel Rooney Council Member

Contact email: hazel.rooney@alltech.com

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: I am currently based in Alltech’s European Headquarters in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland.

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Predominately animal nutrition and production, with a small focus on animal welfare and health.

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Currently my role is associated with pigs only. However, I will also be working with poultry in the future.

Q: In one sentence explain the focus of your PhD/job

A: I am the Pig Technical Co-Ordinator for Alltech Ireland and my focus is to understand the challenges faced by the Irish Pig Industry, and how we at Alltech can help our producers to overcome those challenges. I recently completed a one-year collaborative Postdoc project with the Teagasc Pig Development Department and the Teagasc Food Chemistry Department in the area of weaner nutrition (November 2019-2020). Prior to that, I obtained a PhD in sow nutrition with University College Dublin and the Teagasc Pig Development Department (2016-2019). The title of my research thesis was ‘Maternal feeding strategies during gestation and lactation to optimise annual sow output and to promote the growth and development of progeny from large litters’.

Oliver Ashton

Council Member

Oliver Ashton Council Member

Contact email: oashton01@qub.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: Queen’s University Belfast & Devenish Nutrition

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Animal Nutrition, Health and Biochemistry

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Pigs

Q: In one sentence explain the focus of your PhD/job

A: My project aims to develop and characterise novel feed supplements which minimise infection and improve immunity in piglets.

BSAS ECC allows me to meet people in a similar area of research, with varied careers. BSAS also provides the opportunities to present research and get involved with conferences.

Katie Dubarry

Council Member

Katie Dubarry Council Member

Contact email: katie.dubarry@ed.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

The Roslin Institute in the Ruminant Functional Genomics group, & SRUC.

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

Genetics and genomics

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

Sheep

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

My PhD looks at the gene expression of immune cells circulating in the bloodstream. It aims to discover new genetic variants that could be used in breeding programmes. I hope that my project will contribute to the future breeding of healthier sheep that are more resilient to disease.

Q: What has being a member of the BSAS ECC council meant for you?

I’m looking forward to contributing to the great work of the ECC, providing a voice and events for our Early Career members.

Matt Craven

Council Member

Matt Craven Council Member

Contact Email: m.j.craven1@newcastle.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: Newcastle University

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Welfare, health, and behaviour

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Chickens

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: For my PhD project, I am investigating the interactions between the housing environment, chronic stress, and the gut microbiome in laying hens.

Kareem Damilola

Council Member

Kareem Damilola Council Member

Contact Email: kareemdu@funaab.edu.ng / kareem.damilola@unesp.br

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: I have a Master's degree (Monogastric Animal Nutrition) at Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta FUNAAB), Nigeria and currently on another Master's degree (Animal Science - Modelling in Poultry Nutrition) programme at São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil

Q: What area of animal science is your MSc/job associated with?

A: Monogastric Nutrition, Feed technology, Modelling

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Poultry

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: M. Agric - FUNAAB: Response of broiler chickens to diets of varying particle sizes supplemented with graded levels of Multienzyme

M. Sc - UNESP: Efficiency and incorporation of methionine and cystine in chickens in dose response tests and stable isotopes

Jacob Musa

Council Member

Jacob Musa Council Member

Contact Email: Jam190@aber.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: Translational Genomics facility, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, UK.

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Genomics and Bioinformatics

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Cattle/Sheep

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: My Masters research focused on the assessment of MKL1 polymorphism and association with body measurement traits in White Fulani and Muturu Cattle breeds of Nigeria.

My current role include Metagenomic study of sheep stool. I am looking for possible association between bacteria genus level aggregate in the sheep stool sample and viral disease incident in the sheep population

Daria Baran

Council Member

Daria Baran Council Member

Contact Email: dariab97@hotmail.com

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: Bristol

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Animal health behaviour and welfare

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Dairy cattle

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: I am a PhD candidate looking at AI to monitor changes in social behaviour for the early detection of disease in dairy cattle.

Christopher Carroll

Council Member

Christopher Carroll Council Member

Contact Email: christophercarroll15@hotmail.com

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: I am based for my Job at the Genus offices in Nantwich, Cheshire.

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: My job is associated with animal breeding / quantitative genetics

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: My job is primarily associated with dairy animals with some emphasis on beef animals.

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: The focus of my job is to evaluate the economics around herd-specific custom indexes, create new insights which show the performance of genetics on farm and compare that to farm productivity.

Olivia Bolton

Council Member

Olivia Bolton Council Member

Contact email: obolton@live.harper.ac.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A. Harper Adams University

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A. Behaviour, health and welfare

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A. Dairy calves

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A. My PhD is looking at the behavioural, physiological and production effects of dairy cow-calf rearing systems.

Rachel Doyle

Council Member

Rachel Doyle Council Member

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?
A: South East Technological University

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?
A: Ruminant Reproduction

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?
A: Dairy cows

Q: In one sentence explain the focus of your PhD/job

A: Currently an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Land Science at SETU. I currently deliver lectures and laboratory practical’s to students in the Department of Land Science in the areas of agricultural science, supervise final year research projects and carry out research in the field of ruminant reproduction. PhD and current research focus on elucidating the physiological mechanisms underpinning fertility in lactating dairy cows.

Mark Kearney

Council Member

Mark Kearney Council Member

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?
A: Teagasc & University College Dublin

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?
A: Dairy Beef, Agricultural Systems & Modelling

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?
A: Beef Cattle

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?
The focus of my PhD is to develop a bioeconomic model to look at the economic, environmental and feed-food competition performance of dairy beef production systems.

Georgina Smith

Council Member

Georgina Smith Council Member

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: University of Leeds

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Nutrition and gut health

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Piglets

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: My PhD is focused on milk oligosaccharides and their role in piglet health and performance in the pre-weaning period.

Harriet Bunning

Council Member

Harriet Bunning Council Member

Contact Email: harriet.bunning@ahdb.org.uk

Q: Where are you based for your PhD/job?

A: I am the lead animal genetics expert covering beef at AHDB, a levy board supporting the farming industry. I’m based in our head office in Warwickshire, but travel the UK through my work with beef farmers. I did my PhD at SRUC and the University of Edinburgh.

Q: What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

A: Quantitative Genetics and Animal Breeding

Q: What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

A: Primarily beef cattle, but I’m also interested in beef produced from the dairy herd

Q: What is the focus of your PhD/job?

A: My main focus is our National Beef Evaluations, which publish EBVs to measure the genetic merit of cattle across the UK. I’m also interested in how we can encourage more farmers to use these genetic evaluations to improve their herds.

During PhD at SRUC and University of Edinburgh I modelled crossbreeding strategies for farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Isabel Lewis

Council Member

Isabel Lewis Council Member

Q1) Where are you based for your PhD/job?

I am currently based at Hartpury University as an Animal Health lecturer and I completed my PhD at The Pirbright Institute with the Royal Veterinary College.

Q2) What area of animal science is your PhD/job associated with?

Virology and Livestock Disease.

Q3) What animal(s) is your research/job associated with?

My PhD work focused primarily on cattle and in my current role lectures involve small animal, exotic and livestock in a variety of modules.

Q4) What is the focus of your PhD/job?

My PhD focused on investigating virulence factors of Lumpy skin disease virus, to identify genes that suppress the host immune response, to develop a foundation for genetically engineered vaccines.

Stefan Yerby

Council Member

Stefan Yerby Council Member

Stef is a dairy cattle researcher, completing his PhD based at The University of Glasgow, and funded by Alltech. Born and raised in Guernsey, Stef spent a decade working in the sheep and dairy industry before moving into academia, where he completed BSc in Veterinary Science and an MSc in Livestock Science at IBERS and The University of Guelph prior to starting his doctoral studies. Stef’s PhD is focussed on using feed additives to enhance dairy cattle feed performance, welfare, and environmental output. Passionate about animal welfare, Stef is the scientific member of the University of Glasgow’s AWERB Culture of Care Committee, as well as being a licensed CowSignals Master trainer.