Professor Laura Green
United Kingdom
Laura Green is a veterinary epidemiologist at the University of Warwick in the UK. She is interested in infectious and non-infectious diseases and her ultimate aim is to improve the health of farmed animals. She has researched into lameness in cattle and sheep. For the past twelve yeras Laura has led a team of researchers investigating lameness in sheep in the UK, focusing primarily on footrot. The research has ranged from studies into the molecular biology of Dichelobacter nodosus to the benefits of minimising lameness in sheep using managements available today, and transfer of this information to farmers.
Plenary Presentation
Understanding Footrot in Sheep : Managements for today, science for today and tomorrow
Professor Paul H. Hemsworth
Australia
Paul Hamilton Hemsworth is a professor in the Melbourne School of Land and Environment at the University of Melbourne, and is Director of the Animal Welfare Science Centre, a joint centre of the University of Melbourne, Monash University. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Animal Science, Ohio State University.
Paul has had an extensive research careeer studying the behaviour and welfare of farm and companion animals. He is particularly recognised for his research on human-animal interactions but also for his research on housing and husbandry effects on animal welfare and behaviour. His conference presentation will focus on aspects of cattle lameness.
Plenary Presentation
Stockmanship and Animal Welfare, with reference to Lameness
Associate Professor Jon Hickford
New Zealand
Jon Hickford is the Lincoln University Associate Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics near Christchurch, New Zealand; he is also a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand (CRSNZ) and President of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science.
Jon has worked at Lincoln University since 1989, teaching into undergraduate science and agriculture degree programmes. He undertakes research and supervises postgraduate students in molecular genetics with emphasis on using gene-marker technology to breed healthier livestock. To date Jon has authored or co-authored over 90 international refereed journal articles and has been an invited speaker at a number of international congresses on animal breeding and genetics. Jon and his students developed the Footrot Gene-Marker Test, which has been used by NZ sheep breeeders since 1999 in their quest to breed sheep that are more resilient to ovine footrot.
Jon was born and educated in Christchurch, New Zealand, and is married to Kim with three sons, Thomas, William and James.
Plenary Presentation
A role for Fusobacterium necrophorum in ovine and caprine footrot?
