We are pleased to have confirmed the involvement of the following speakers for the conference.
Dr Bill Barendse
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Dr.
Barendse is a Senior Scientist at CSIRO Livestock Industries
where he leads the Molecular Genetics Group. His interests
are in evolutionary genetics (Ph.D. 1987), comparative genomics
and the genetic basis for quantitative traits. He co-ordinated
the analysis and construction of the bovine genetic linkage
map, first demonstrated the lack of detailed synteny between
cattle and humans using genetic linkage maps and two diagnostic
tests from his laboratory are currently marketed under the
GeneSTAR label.
Dr David Boyle
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Dr
David Boyle is a Senior Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO's
Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong. He has extensive
expertise in developing diagnostic tests and vaccines for
a range of animal diseases. He completed his Ph.D. in Microbiology
(Virology and Immunology) at the John Curtin School of Medical
Research, Australian National University. In 1982 David joined
CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) as Senior
Research Scientist. His major research activities have focused
on viruses as vaccine vectors, including a major current NIH
funded project on the utilisation of fowlpox virus for the
delivery HIV/AIDS vaccines. He has major responsibility at
AAHL for emergency disease diagnosis using molecular technique
including the implementation of new technologies into this
area.
Mr Shaun Coffey
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Shaun Coffey is the Chief of CSIRO Livestock Industries.
Prior to his appointment as Chief of CSIRO Livestock Industries, Shaun was Sector Co-ordinator for the Meat, Dairy and Aquaculture Sector within CSIRO. In this role he has initiated major changes to focus research and development on market needs and planned outcomes. He has also served as Program Manager for Livestock Improvement and as Deputy Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Quality. Shaun is also Adjunct Professor in the School of Animal Studies in the University of Queensland. For the last three years he has been Vice-President of the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists.
Prior to joining CSIRO, Shaun spent five years as Director of Research and Extension for the State of Queensland and in this role, initiated and managed radical changes in the organisation and delivery of research and extension services (based on participatory management and learning systems of practice). During the 1980s he was Chief Executive of the Cattlemen's Union of Australia.
An Agronomist by training, Shaun undertook his graduate and post-graduate studies in the University of Melbourne. His research interests now lie in the development of innovation systems and novel approaches to research, development and extension practice.
Dr Allan Crawford
AgResearch, New Zealand
Biography
Allan
Crawford is the leader of the Animal Genomics Science Platform
of AgResearch. He completed his PhD in Microbiology at the
University of Otago, then spent the next 12 years in labs
in Canada, New Zealand and the USA, working on projects
involving bio-control of insects using natural pathogens.
Thirteen years ago he joined a new group set up by AgResearch
and the University of Otago to study the genes of livestock.
He now leads the group that developed the first genetic
linkage map of sheep and has used that map to discover a
number of genes affecting productive traits in sheep and
cattle. His personal research is currently involved with
finding and understanding genes that make animals resistant
to diseases.
Dr Wendy Dean
Babraham Institute, UK
Biography
Wendy Dean began a lifelong interest in mouse developmental
genetics completing an Hons BSc('82) and MSc( '85) at Brock
University in St Catharines. Ontario Canada ,studying with
Dr Janet Rossant. A PhD in developmental molecular biology
with Dr Gil Schultz at the University of Calgary followed
in 1989.
Dr Dean has continued her interest in molecular developmental genetics joining the Laboratory of Imprinting in 1993 to work with Dr Wolf Reik at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge UK. Dr Dean is a Senior Research Associate and is interested in Epigenetic Reprogramming during early mammalian development and during somatic nuclear transfer.
Dr Annabelle Duncan
CSIRO Molecular Science, Australia
Biography
Dr
Annabelle Duncan is the Chief of CSIRO Molecular Science.
Her research background is in microbial ecology, initially
focussing on water and wastewater treatment, but later moving
to an interest in microbial production of pharmaceuticals.
She holds a MSc from Otago University (New Zealand) and a
PhD from La Trobe University, Australia.
She acts as an adviser to the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade on biological weapons control. She has also acted
as a biological weapons inspector with the United Nations
in Iraq. She was awarded a Public Service Medal in 1996 for
this work.
Dr Duncan is married with two children.
Dr John Edgar
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
John Edgar obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide
in 1964. He undertook research at the University of Minnesota
and Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining CSIRO
Applied Organic Chemistry in 1967, transferring to the Division
of Animal Health in 1972. In 1976-77 he was a visiting scientist
in toxicology at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. He
was Manager of the CSIRO Plant-associated Toxins Program for
many years. He left CSIRO in 2001 and is now a food-safety
consultant representing CSIRO on several national food safety
working groups. He works at the University of Freiburg on
natural toxicants for several months each year.
Dr Garth Fletcher
Aqua Bounty Canada
Biography
President/CEO Aqua Bounty Canada; A/F Protein Canada,
& Professor of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University. St
John's Newfoundland Canada
Garth Fletcher received a BSc from the University of British Columbia and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He has conducted basic research on fish antifreeze proteins and transgenic fish for over 30 years. Garth, in collaboration with Dr. Choy Hew discovered and described many of the fish antifreeze types known to date, and pioneered and patented the development of transgenic salmon with improved freeze resistance and accelerated growth rates. Garth's responsibilities with Aqua Bounty and A/F Protein include the development of an antifreeze protein manufacturing facility, and directing the production of transgenic salmon, trout, and charr broodstocks for aquaculture.
Dr Mike Goddard
Victorian Institute of Animal Science, Australia
Biography
Mike graduated as a vet in 1972. He then commenced
a PhD on a breeding program for guide dogs for the blind that
involved both genetics and animal behaviour. There had not
been much research on guide dog breeding so he investigated
all aspects from breed comparison to the design of breeding
programs setting a pattern that he would later follow in agricultural
industries. In 1977 he became lecturer in Biometrics at James
Cook University in tropical north Queensland. (As well as
his PhD studies, Mike had a studied mathematics and statistics.)
He taught graduate students biometry and genetics. His research
in this position was largely directed at the extensive beef
industry in northern Australia. One topic he investigated
was the genetics of temperament which was perceived to be
a problem in the extensively managed Brahman herds. In 1983
he returned to Melbourne to a position with the Victorian
Department of Agriculture as Senior Herd Improvement Geneticist
and later as Director, Livestock Improvement. Between 1983
and 1993 this group was converted from one responsible for
herd recording in the dairy industry to a research group working
across all livestock industries. Mike also moved the group
into molecular genetics. In 1993 he became Director, Animal
Genetics and Breeding Unit at the University of New England
in Armidale NSW. AGBU is responsible for the software that
drives beef cattle genetic evaluation in Australia and this
sytem was considerable updated between 1993 and 1998 to include
carcase traits and international information. Mike also reintroduced
dairy research to AGBU and started a program of research on
utilisation of molecular data that has continued. In 1998
he moved to a joint position at University of Melbourne and
the Victorian Department of Primary Industry. As well as teaching
undergraduates and post graduates in livestock genetics, he
leads a research team in genomics and genetics.
Prof Chris Goodnow
Australian National University, Australia
Biography
Christopher C. Goodnow pioneered the use of transgenic
mice to understand the regulation of the immune system. After
a BSc(Vet) and Veterinary degree at Sydney University, he
trained in molecular and cellular immunology with Mark. M.
Davis, Sir Gustav Nossal, and Antony Basten, and during this
time devised a novel transgenic system that illuminated the
process of self-nonself discrimination by the immune system.
On completing his PhD in 1990 at the University of Sydney,
Goodnow was recruited to Stanford University as an Assistant
Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His team
at Stanford showed how transgenic, mutant, and knockout mice
could be combined with cellular immunology, biochemistry,
and gene chip technology to decipher many of the cellular
checkpoints and signaling networks that control immune cell
responses and autoimmunity. In June 1997 he moved to the John
Curtin School of Medical Research in Canberra, Australia to
become Professor and Director of a new, purpose built facility
for large-scale mouse functional genomics, the Medical Genome
Centre. The pioneering success of the Medical Genome Centre
in establishing genome-wide recessive mutagenesis in the mouse
led in 2002 to the award of an Australian Government Major
National Research Facility grant to establish the Australian
Phenomics Facility in Canberra, with Goodnow as Director.
Goodnow is also a founder and chief scientific officer for
Phenomix Corp, a biotechnology start-up company with operations
in San Diego and Canberra.
He has authored many papers in Nature, Science and Cell, is on the editorial boards of Current Biology, Genome Biology, Immunological Reviews, Journal of Autoimmunity, International Immunology, Journal of Experimental Medicine, and Immunity, and has been awarded numerous grants. His honours and awards include the University Medal from Sydney University, Assistant Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Searle Scholar, American Association of Immunologists/Pharmingen Investigator Award, the Gottschalk Medal of the Australian Academy of Science, and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
Allan Gould
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Dr
Allan Gould is a molecular biologist and currently group leader
of the Newcastle disease virus research project at CSIRO's
Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL). AAHL is a major
facility of CSIRO Livestock Industries. Dr Gould was educated
at the University of Adelaide where he completed his PhD in
Biochemistry studying the secretion of extracellular enzymes
by bacteria in 1975. He undertook postdoctoral positions in
Switzerland and Edinburgh studying protein secretion and protein
recognition processes in plants. In 1979 to 1983 he returned
to the University of Adelaide to conduct research with plant
viruses. With Dr Francki at the Waite Institute he discovered
and characterised the novel plant viral satellite RNA molecules,
virusoids. Further research was undertaken into the replication
and sequence analysis of plant viruses, viroids and satellite
RNAs. In 1983 he moved to Geelong to take up a position with
AAHL investigating Bluetongue and other orbiviruses. Latterly,
he became involved with the molecular diagnosis of emerging
viral diseases using molecular techniques and was successful
in the identification and characterisation of new Australian
and overseas viruses such as: Hendra virus, Nipah virus, Kangaroo
blindness, and Australian Bat Lyssavirus, as well as several
other important human and animal agents. He was intimately
involved with the diagnosis and epidemiology of the emergence
of virulent Newcastle disease in Australia in 1998-200 and
has continued in this area of research with industry support.
Allan is the author of over 100 journal articles, book chapters
and reviews and his contributions to science have been recognised
by the co-awarding of the CSIRO's Chairman's Medal, the AQIS
National Quarantine Award as well as the Charles C Shepard
Award for Science.
Prof David Harris
Washington University, USA
Biography
Dr. David Harris received a B.S. degree from Yale
University, and M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University.
He is currently a Professor in the Department of Cell Biology
and Physiology and Washington University School of Medicine
in St. Louis, Missouri. The major objective of Dr. Harris'
research is to understand prion diseases at the cellular and
molecular levels using both cell culture and animal models.
Among the questions he is investigating are the normal function
of PrPC, how PrPC is converted into PrPSc, how these forms
are metabolized in cells, what other proteins they interact
with, and how prions damage neurons.
Dr Jay Hetzel
Genetic Solutions, Australia
Biography
Dr Jay Hetzel is one of the founders of Genetic Solutions,
which has been developing and commercialising DNA technologies
in the livestock and aquaculture industries since 1998. Jay
was foundation Managing Director from August 1998 through
February 2001, when he took a position in the USA as Chief
Scientific Officer with GenomicFX. He has been Scientific
Director with Genetic Solutions since September 2001.
During a research career with CSIRO spanning nearly 20 years, Dr Jay Hetzel established an international reputation in animal genetics. He led the team that produced the world's first comprehensive bovine genetic map. He also headed a research group that mapped a large number of genes responsible for carcass and meat quality attributes, parasite resistance and growth in cattle. Dr Hetzel was recently elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Dr Roy Jackman
Veterinary Laboratories Agency, UK
Biography
Current Position: Head: Immunochemistry Group
Current Grade: Band B, Senior Scientist
Age: 56
Tenure at VLA: 38 years
History: 1969 - 1978. Studies on the aetiology, diagnosis
and treatment of cerebrocortical necrosis, a vitamin B1 deficiency
induced, neurological disease of ruminants
1979 - 1982. Development of methods for mycotoxins and illegal
growth promoters in meat.
1982. Set up my current R&D Work Group (3staff)
1982 - 1986. Development of immunoassays for aflatoxin, trenbolone,
diethyl stilboestrol and sulphonamides.
1986 - 1989. Commercial funding for the production of test
kit ELISAs for antibiotics in milk.
1990. Entered BSE field of studies. Work Group of 8 staff.
1991 to date. Group now 22 scientists. Projects are all contract
R&D primarily for Defra and the UK Food Standards Agency,
but also including European Union, commercial and UK Department
of Health funding. Main areas of expertise are biochemistry
and immunochemistry as applied to Prion Disease diagnostics,
therapeutics and pathogenesis. Group funding for 2002/2003
was £1.86m.
Dr Jonathan Hill
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Dr Hill is a reproductive physiologist (Ph.D. from
Texas A&M University) who is also a board certified veterinary
specialist in animal reproduction. At Texas A&M University
in 1999, Dr Hill produced the first calf cloned from an adult
male in the USA and this animal was also the oldest animal
(21 year old bull) yet cloned.
He heads the Reproductive Technologies Centre at CSIRO Armidale, and previous positions include Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Cornell University, Research Scientist at Texas A&M University, and partner in a successful NSW veterinary practice and artificial breeding centre. His research focuses on developing the nuclear transfer technique, ovum pick up (OPU) and in vitro embryo production and integrating these and other reproductive technologies (AI, ET) into livestock breeding programs.
Dr Martyn Jeggo
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Dr Martyn Jeggo is the Director of CSIRO Livestock Industries'
Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL). He has headed
AAHL since September 2002.
From 1996 - 2002, Dr Jeggo was the Head of the Animal Production and Health Science Section of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Agriculture (Food and Agricultural Organisation/International Atomic Energy Agency), in Vienna, Austria.
In that role he managed a range of FAO/IAEA Coordinated Research Programs involving over 200 research contracts relating to animal production and health that were operational in some 130 countries. Amongst other international activities he also developed an international external quality assurance program for veterinary laboratories.
For the past 15 years he has overseen the management of laboratory networks dealing with rinderpest and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Africa, Foot-and-mouth disease in Asia, and brucellosis worldwide.
He has visited over 150 national veterinary laboratories in Africa, Asia and the Americas, and was director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories in Yemen Arab Republic, and Head of the Department of Immunology at the UK's Institute of Animal Health Pirbright Laboratories.
Dr Jeggo holds: a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from the Royal Veterinary College, London; a Master of Tropical Veterinary Science from the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Edinburgh University; and, a Doctor of Philosophy from Surrey University.
He is married with two sons, and his outside interests include sports such as soccer, tennis, squash and golf.
Dr Sigrid Lehnert
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Sigrid Lehnert completed her Ph.D. on the expression
of growth factor genes in the developing mouse embryo at the
University of London. She joined CSIRO in 1990 and has since
been involved in biotechnology research relevant to livestock
production. Sigrid Lehnert has been involved in EST projects
and gene expression profiling studies in invertebrates and
mammals since the late nineties. Her group currently focuses
on using bovine cDNA microarrays to study the control of intramuscular
adipogenesis and protein turnover in bovine skeletal muscle,
as well as the molecular biology of ectoparasite resistance.
The group is also developing and studying in vitro models
of muscle development and intramuscular adipogenesis.
Dr Ian Lewis
Genetics Australia, Australia
Biography
Ian Lewis graduated as a vet from Melbourne University
in 1969 and after several years in large animal veterinary
practice, he has spent over 25 years working with advanced
reproductive technologies in cattle, including embryo transfer,
cloning and related technologies, in both research and commercial
situations in Australia and overseas.
Ian is currently Technology Development Manager Australia at Genetics Australia Co-operative Ltd. and Program Leader in the newly formed Cooperative Research Centre for Innovative Dairy Products. This is a 7 year, $90 million Project, involving a number of Australia’s leading research institutes and commercial companies and is aimed at improving products and profits from dairy genetics.
Dr Oliver Mayo
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Oliver Mayo was born and formally educated in Adelaide.
He is a statistical geneticist or genetical statistician.
Positions held include Head, Biometry Section, Waite Agricultural
Research Institute - Adelaide, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural
Science - Adelaide and Chief, CSIRO Animal Production - Prospect,
NSW. He is currently a Research Fellow with CSIRO Livestock
Industries, based at CSIRO Health Sciences and Nutrition,
Adelaide.
He has worked in human, plant and animal genetics as well
as biometry. He has published books on human biochemical genetics,
plant breeding, evolution and Australian wine.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
and a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Agricultural
Science.
Prof Graham Mitchell
Foursight Associates, Australia
Biography
Graham Mitchell is a veterinary graduate with a Ph.D.
in immunology and a long-standing research interest in infectious
diseases, parasitology in particular. At The Walter and Eliza
Hall Institute in the 1970's and 80's, he established a large
research program designed to develop vaccines and diagnostic
tests for human and veterinary parasites and that played a
major role in the early growth of Australia's biotechnology
industry. Together with Gus Nossal, John Stocker and David
Penington, he is now a Principal of Foursight Associates,
an advisory service in science and technology based in Melbourne.
Dr Mark Nottle
BresaGen, Australia
Biography
Dr Mark Nottle completed his Ph.D. in 1989 at The
University of Adelaide. Since 1992 he has been employed by
BresaGen Limited, and is currently General Manager of the
Reproductive Biotechnology Division. The Division has an international
reputation for the production of transgenic pigs and associated
technologies. Since 1994 the Division has collaborated with
Professor Tony dÁpice, Director of the Immunology Research
Centre at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne and others looking
at the possibility of using genetically modified pigs as organ,
tissue and cell donors for humans.
Dr Chris Ormandy Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Australia
Dr Martin Pera
Monash University, Australia
Biography
Dr. Martin Pera is Associate Professor and Co-Director
of the Centre for Early Human Development at the Monash Institute
of Reproduction and Development. Pera obtained his BA degree
in English Language and Literature from the College of William
and Mary in Virginia, and his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the
George Washington University. He was awarded an NIH National
Research Service Award, and conducted postdoctoral research
at the Institute of Cancer Research and the Imperial Cancer
Research Fund, both in London. Thereafter he headed up research
teams at the Institute of Cancer Research and Oxford University
before coming to Monash University.
Dr. Pera is an expert in the cell biology of human pluripotent
stem cells, having pioneered the development and characterisation
of human embryonal carcinoma cell lines, work which led directly
to the isolation of human embryonic stem cells from blastocysts
by his laboratory. The Monash group were the second in the
world to isolate human ES cells and the first to demonstrate
somatic differentiation of these cells in vitro.
Dr Mike Rickard
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Dr Rickard attended the University of Queensland
where he received a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1963
and a PhD in 1967. From 1967 to1969 he lectured in New Zealand
at Massey University before returning to Australia. From 1969
to 1977 Dr Rickard lectured at Melbourne University Veterinary
Faculty and received a DVSc from Melbourne University in 1979.
Dr Rickard was Chief of the CSIRO Division of Animal Health
from 1989 to 2000, Director of the CSIRO Australian Animal
Health Laboratory in Geelong in 2001 and is currently CSIRO
Advisor for Animal Welfare. His field of research was in parasitology,
especially immunoparasitology, and he is author or co-author
of some 150 original scientific publications, reviews and
book chapters. His awards include a Medal of Outstanding Merit
from the University of Queensland in 1963, the Bancroft Mackerras
Medal of the Australian Society for Parasitology in 1983 and
the Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Foundation
medal in 1991. Dr Rickard is a Fellow of the Australian Academy
of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Prof Larry Schook
University of Illinois, USA
Biography
Dr. Schook is Faculty Excellence Professor of Comparative
Genomics. He attended Albion College and received his PhD
from Wayne State School of Medicine. After postdoctoral training
at the Institute for Clinical Immunology in Switzerland and
the University of Michigan he has held positions at the University
of Michigan, the Medical College of Virginia, the University
of Minnesota and the University of Illinois where he is currently
a Faculty Fellow at the National Centre for Supercomputer
Applications, and Director of the Agricultural Genome Sciences
and Public Policy Training Program. Dr Schook has received
numerous awards including Fellowships from the NIH and the
Pardee Foundation, University Scholar at the University of
Illinois, the Funk Award, and the Pfizer Animal Health Research
Award. He currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Alliance
for Animal Genomics Steering Committee and is the corresponding
author for the NIH White paper on sequencing the swine genome.
Most recently, he served on the NAS's animal biotechnology
and cloning sub-committee and the genomic sequencing steering
committee
Dr Tim Smith
USDA-ARS, US Meat Animal Research Center, USA
Biography
Dr. Smith has explored molecular genetics of livestock
at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center since 1992. His research
focuses on genome map development and application in cattle,
sheep, and swine, and has elucidated DNA sequence variation
underlying phenotypes such as double muscling in cattle and
callipyge in sheep. He holds a B.S. in Microbiology from Montana
State and Ph.D. in Chemistry from University of Oregon. Recent
awards include Early Career Scientist of the Year from the
Agricultural Research Service in 2001, and Outstanding Research
Award for the Midwest section of the American Society of Animal
Science in 2003.
Prof Mark Stevenson
Massey University, New Zealand
Biography
Mark Stevenson: Veterinary graduate from University
of Sydney, 1986. Spent 9 years in mixed practice in New South
Wales. Completed MVSc in veterinary epidemiology at the University
of Sydney in 1995. Since 1995 have been employed at the EpiCentre
within the veterinary faculty at Massey University, Palmerston
North, New Zealand. As part of collaborative project between
the EpiCentre and the Defra (UK) have recently completed a
doctoral thesis on the spatial and temporal epidemiology of
the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic in Great Britain.
Dr David Strom
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
David Strom completed his Ph.D. in bacterial genetics
at Monash University in 1989. Previous research and Ph.D.
studies involved bacterial genetics of Pseudomonas species,
mapping genes and manipulation of the bacterial chromosome.
From here he leaped into ruminant immunology and has specialised
in pig immunology. David is currently a Principal Research
Scientist at CSIRO Livestock Industries (Geelong). His major
research activities have focused on the analysis and modulation
of immune responses in pigs. This includes vaccine development,
the use of natural alternatives to antibiotics and anthelmintics
to control infectious disease, and the measure of welfare
based on immune status.
Dr Peter Walker
CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
Biography
Dr Peter Walker is a Senior Principal Scientist with
CSIRO Livestock Industries in Brisbane and Adjunct Associate
Professor at both the University of Queensland and Griffith
University. He has published more than 70 papers on human
and animal diseases and is a member of the Editorial Board
of several international scientific journals. In recent years,
Dr Walker and his team have focussed on diseases impacting
on cultured shrimp production. He has worked extensively in
Asia and is a regular consultant to the Network of Aquaculture
Centres Asia-Pacific and the Food and Agricultural Organisation
of the United Nations. He is also a Secretary of the Fish
Health Section of the Asian Fisheries Society.
Dr Steve Whyard
CSIRO Entomology, Australia
Biography
Dr Steven Whyard leads a group at CSIRO Entomology
that is involved in developing tools for invertebrate functional
genomics, novel methods of biological control and control
of gene expression. His current focus in Entomology is on
functional genomics of moths and aphids, but he collaborates
with researchers in CSIRO Plant Industry on crop protection
technologies, with researchers in CSIRO Marine Research on
genetic control of carp, and with researchers at CSIRO Livestock
Industries of farmed prawns.
Dr John Williams
Roslin Institute, Scotland
Biography
John Williams graduated from Kings' College London
in 1978 with a Joint Honours BSc in Biology and Physics, then
started his Ph.D. with Jam Tata at the Institute for Medical
Research at Mill Hill. His Ph.D. research was on hormonal
control of gene expression in Xenopus, a theme that carried
through into post-doc research on Drosophila with Mary Bownes
at Edinburgh University. In 1986, Dr Williams switched to
cattle when he moved to the Roslin Institute, which was then
the Animal Breeding Research Organisation. His group is currently
involved in developing tools for genomics research: RH mapping,
large fragment clones and expression arrays, mapping QTL's
for production and health traits in cattle, examining developmental
traits, genetic diversity and understanding the genetic control
and molecular pathology of TSE's.
Dr Theresa Wilson
AgResearch, New Zealand
Biography
My initial science career specialized in plant biochemistry
and molecular biology around steroid and hormone biosynthesis.
Then I moved into bovine tuberculosis research specializing
in resistance by the bacterium to the frontline treatment
drug isoniazid and the correlation with virulence. This project
also involved the development of new vaccine candidates for
bovine tuberculosis. My recent research had focused in the
genomics area with the finding of the Booroola fertility gene
and subsequent research in that area. Also the setting up
a microarray capability in AgResearch and am now heading a
group tracking down genes involved in a variety of desirable
livestock traits.
Dr Jim Womack
Texas A&M University, USA
Biography
Dr. Womack holds the title of Distinguished Professor
at Texas A&M University and is the W.P. Luse Professor
of Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He
is a member of the Faculty of Genetics and holds a joint academic
appointment in the Department of Medical Biochemistry and
Genetics. He is Director of the Center for Animal Biotechnology
and Genomics. Dr. Womack holds degrees from Abilene Christian
University (B.S.Ed. 1964) and Oregon State University (Ph.
D. 1968). He serves as Coordinator of the USDA-CSREES National
Cattle Genome Project, is the current President of the International
Society for Animal Genetics, and is Executive Vice President
of the American Genetics Association. He is a member of the
National Academy of Sciences USA, a Fellow in the AAAS, and
recipient of the 1994 CIBA Prize for research in animal health
and the 2001 Wolf Prize in agriculture. He has published,
with students and associates, more than 250 peer reviewed
articles in scientific journals. His research interests are
comparative genomics, mapping the bovine genome, and the genetic
basis of disease resistance in mammals.