I have been working at SRUC's Hill & Mountain Research Centre since 2002, initially joining as a sheep research technician then progressing to become a researcher. 

My current research interests focus predominantly on sheep production systems. More specifically:

• Investigating the genetic aspects of new and novel traits relating to production, health and welfare.

• The relationships between genetic and environmental influences on different production systems.

• Sheep breeding programmes.
• The use of technology in sheep farming & breeding programmes
• Hill sheep farming

I teach on SRUC degree courses, mainly 3rd year students on animal breeding & genetics and the technologies used in breeding programmes. I also supervise at least one honours student each year.

Fiona McAuliffe (co-supervisor) - Investigating causes of lamb loss on Highland farms and crofts. Joint with University of Edinburgh & Nature Scot, started 2019.

Eilidh Geddes (co-supervisor) - Holistic approach to internal parastie control on hill and upland sheep farms. Joint with the Moredun Research Institute and University of Edinburgh, started 2020.

Aimee Walker (co-supervisor) - Adopting precision livestock farming technologies to improve small ruminant management and welfare in grazing systems: Joint with Moredun Research Institute and University of Glasgow, started 2021.

Current

• 2019 – 2023 ICT-AGRI call : ‘On novel technologies, solutions and systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in animal production systems’ (Defra-funded)     “Grass To Gas: Strategies to mitigate GHG emissions from pasture-based sheep systems” (with INRAE France; AgResearch NZ; Teagasc Ireland; NMBU Norway; INIA Uruguay; Sheep Ireland), €1.2M
• 2020 - 2022. InnovateUK. Smart Sheep (with Moredun and 6 addition partners). £245K.
• 2018-2022 EU H2020 (ID 772787) SMARTER: Small Ruminant Breeding  for Efficiency and Resilience (with 27 organisations), €7M
• 2020 – 2024 EU H2020 (Innovative Action No. 862050) “TechCare: Integrating innovative technologies along the value chain to improve small ruminant welfare management” (with 18 other partners from 9 countries), €5.7M
• 2021- 2023 EU H2020 (Thematic Network No. 101000471) “Sm@RT: Small Ruminant Technologies” (with 10 other partners from 8 countries), €2M
• 2020 – 2023 EU H2020 (Thematic Network No. 863056) “EuroSheep: European network for interactive and innovative knowledge exchange on animal health and nutrition” (with 11 partners from 8 countries), €2M

Previous

• BSAS Committee member (2018 – ongoing).