Professor in Computational Biology, Animal Breeding and Genomics, SRUC, since 2012

EDUCATION:

• PhD, 1989, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
• MSc, 1985, University of New Hampshire, USA
• MBA, 1998, University of Warwick, UK
• BSc, 1983, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

• Development, evaluation and application of computational and statistical methods for the analysis of farm animal data (phenotypic, pedigree, genomic) with the aim to unravel the genetic background of economically important traits associated with animal health, fertility, climate resilience, adaptability and productivity.
• Research on the interaction between farm animals and environmental stressors including variation in climate and nutrition.
• Breeding programmes aiming at enhancing the sustainability of the livestock sector.
• Assessment and management of genetic diversity in animal populations.
• Genetic improvement of livestock raised in tropical conditions (in collaboration with the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health - https://www.ctlgh.org/).

Current (PI)

• 2022-2027, Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme, "Enhancing livestock resilience and adaptability to environmental challenge, while protecting and enriching genetic diversity" £283K. 
• 2023-2027, Gates Foundation, “Phenomics and genetics of chicken response to environmental challenge” £293K.
• 2023-2027, BBSRC, "Integrating clinical, data-driven and in-vitro approaches to the study of host-pathogen interactions in bovine digital dermatitis" £260K.
• 2023-2027, BBSRC, "Genetic and management solutions for lameness-associated endemic diseases in dairy cattle" £389K.

Previous (PI)

• 2023-2025, Innovate UK, "Can Bulk Milk Revolutionise TB Testing?" £244K.
• 2024-2024. DEFRA, "Evidence base to inform development of a roadmap for biobanking native livestock genetic resources", £115K.
• 2019-2023, BBSRC, “Aetiopathogenesis and genomic architecture of resistance to claw horn disruption lesions in dairy cattle” £349.
• 2018-2023, DFID and Gates Foundation, “Identification of selection targets and development of analytical tools to optimise breeding programmes in African chicken populations” £744K.
• 2021-2022, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board-Beef & Lamb, "Genomics of sheep resilience to climate change" £49K.
• 2021-2022, Rare Breeds Survival Trust, “The analysis of genome-wide genotypic data of North Ronaldsay sheep" £10K.
• 2019-2022, University of Edinburgh PhD Studentship, “Early life predictors of long-life health and productivity in farm animals” £86K.
• 2020-2021, Rare Breeds Survival Trust, “Defining molecular genetic characteristics that uniquely identify the British Lop Pig” £75K.
• 2021 (6-mo), University of Edinburgh International Development Research Hub “Capacity building in scientific techniques” £37K.
• 2019-2020, Hannah Dairy Research Foundation, “Early life biomarker predictors of future production, health, welfare and longevity in dairy cattle” £25K.
• 2017-2019, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board-Beef & Lamb and DEFRA “Development of national genetic evaluations of beef cattle for resistance to bovine tuberculosis” £239K.
• 2016-2020, European Commission Horizon2020, “Innovation of sustainable sheep and goat production in Europe” SRUC £431K.
• 2016-2020, Teagasc Ireland, “Development of international sheep genetic and genomic evaluations between Ireland and the UK” £83K.
• 2016-2017, SRUC REG funds, “MicroRNAs as predictive biomarkers of survival and performance in dairy cattle” £79K.
• 2014-2017, BBSRC, “Measurements of telomere length at different life stages as predictive biomarkers of health, reproduction and longevity in dairy cattle” £326.
• 2014-2017, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, “Genetics of bovine Tuberculosis resistance in dairy cattle" £80K.
• 2013-2017, Teagasc Ireland, “International genetic and genomic evaluations for carcass traits in cattle” £81K.
• 2013-2015, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board-Dairy, “Development of national genetic evaluations for resistance to bovine tuberculosis” £100K.
• 2012-2015, European Commission FP7, “Next generation European system for cattle improvement and management” SRUC £176K.

Principal PhD supervisor

• 2019-2023 “Early life predictors of long-life health and productivity in farm animals” 
• 2016-2020 “Enhancing genetic evaluations for sheep growth and carcass traits in Ireland and the UK” 
• 2016-2020 “Investigation of farmer-led breeding goals and strategies in smallholder dairy farming systems to cope with variation in feed sources and quality” 
• 2014-2017 “Investigating host genetics and the role of selection for increased resistance to bovine tuberculosis in dairy cattle”
• 2013-2017 “Genetic and non-genetic evaluation tools for accelerating improvement in beef cattle carcass traits within and across country”
• 2012-2017 “Characterisation of telomere length dynamics in dairy cattle and association with productive lifespan” joint with University of Edinburgh.

BSc Applied Animal Science, SRUC

• Animal Breeding, Selection and Technologies (2^nd Year module)
• Animal Breeding and Genetics (4^th Year module)

 MSc Quantitative Genetics and Genome Analysis, University of Edinburgh

• Quantitative Genetic Models
• Animal Genetic Improvement modules