Controlling parasites in a changing world
Tracks
Assembly Hall
| Tuesday, April 9, 2024 |
| 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM |
| Assembly Room |
Overview
Sponsored by SEFARI
Details
Helminth parasites (worms & fluke) are a ubiquitous challenge to grazing livestock and a major constraint on efficient livestock production globally. They also add considerably to the carbon footprint of animal agriculture. In this session, we discuss the impact of helminth parasites on the economics and environmental footprint of livestock farming, and explore changing patterns of helminth parasite epidemiology, against a backdrop of a changing climate and emerging drug resistance. We also consider barriers to uptake of best practice advice around sustainable parasite control and how best to communicate sometimes complex and nuanced messages. We have brought together acknowledged experts in the field, including researchers from the SEFARI collective and academia, as well as industry stakeholders, who will present their own perspectives and join a short panel Q&A afterwards. It should be a lively and thought-provoking session.
Session Sponsor & Speakers
Session Sponsored by SEFARI
Dr Philip Skuce
Principal Scientist
Moredun Research Institute/SEFARI Gateway
An introduction to SEFARI
Philip is a Principal Scientist at Moredun Research Institute, having worked there for worked there for the past 25 years on various aspects of sustainable control of helminth parasites (worms & fluke) in livestock. His research interests are in parasite diagnostics, detection in the environment, vaccination and anthelmintic resistance. He also has interests in the effect of climate change on parasite epidemiology and the impact of endemic disease on the carbon footprint of livestock production. He is also the SEFARI (Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes) Gateway Knowledge Broker for Livestock.
Professor Eric Morgan
Professor in Veterinary Parasitology
Queens University Belfast
Managing parasites in a changing world
2:20 PM - 2:40 PM
Eric Morgan qualified in veterinary medicine from Cambridge in 1997 and, following a PhD at Warwick on parasites of farmed and wild ungulates, joined Bristol Veterinary School in 2003. There he further developed teaching and research interests in parasite transmission, moving to Queen’s University Belfast in 2017. He is co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed papers, seeking especially to understand the impact of weather and climate change on parasite infection patterns and how these can be managed. As a member of various national and international initiatives he contributes to the development of sustainable parasite control strategies and their translation into practice.
Dr Michael Macleod
Senior Researcher
SRUC
Many developed countries are going to have to reduce the emissions from ruminant agriculture in order to meet their mitigation commitments
Dr Michael MacLeod is a reader at SRUC. His main research interests are in using modelling to quantify GHG emissions arising from food supply chains and the identification of cost-effective ways of reducing emissions. He has been involved in agri-food policy research for 20 years, and has undertaken ~40 projects during this period, around half of them as principal investigator. Clients include: Scottish Government, DEFRA, The UK Committee on Climate Change, European Commission, the OECD, the International Livestock Research Institute, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Bank.
Dr Lynsey Melville
Research Scientist
Moredun
Managing parasites in the face of resistance
Dr Lynsey Melville is an early career researcher at the Moredun Research Institute, working in veterinary parasitology, specifically the sustainable control of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in grazing livestock. She has a keen interest in the evolution of parasite behaviour and the factors which influence it. Her research began in applied parasitology, optimising anthelmintic treatment strategies for grazing lambs. Through several research projects since then, she has gained a range of molecular biology skills, developing, validating and applying tools across multiple platforms. Her broad skills base allows her to take a whole-system approach to her research, understanding the real-world implications of research outputs and communicating these to key stakeholders. Lynsey is also the current Vice President of the British Association of Veterinary Parasitology (BAVP).
Ms Lesley Stubbings
Independent Sheep Consultant
SCOPS
How can the sheep industry achieve sustainable parasite control?
Lesley graduated from University of Nottingham and has spent over 40 years working as a consultant in the sheep industry. Following 18 years with ADAS, Lesley started up her own business (LSSC Ltd) in 1997 providing specialist advice on all aspects of sheep production to farmers, corporate bodies, vets, Government and NGOs. Lesley has a central role in SCOPS (Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep) and has been heavily involved in sheep scab, including the VMD and RDPE projects in recent years.
Lesley is an Honorary Life Member of the Sheep Veterinary Society, Associate Honorary Professor, University of Nottingham and recipient of the NSA George Hedley Award. She was appointed an OBE in 2006 for contributions to the sheep industry.
Chair
Philip Skuce
Principal Scientist
Moredun Research Institute/SEFARI Gateway
