GMASVM2024

Dr. Benavides-Montaño Javier Antonio is an Associate Professor at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL), working in undergrad and graduate courses offering Parasitology, Preventive Medicine, Immunology, and Infectious diseases. He graduated in 1999 from DVM and Animal Production Science at the Universidad de Caldas. He obtained a master’s Education Diploma from the Universidad de Manizales, Caldas-Colombia, in 2004 and continued his master’s in Veterinary Science at the Universidad Federal de Viçosa - Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2006. In 2008 he got a position at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia as a Professor in Parasitology. He earned Fulbright Scholarship in 2011 and finished his Ph.D. in Veterinary Science working in the Immunology and Infectious Disease Program at the Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health– at Washington State University USA in 2017. His main research activities are in Preventive Medicine, Parasitology, and Infectious diseases. He has developed different studies on different parasites. Recently he focused on wild and remerging conditions with zoonotic potential and parasites that affect humans and animals. He got university funding to fortify his Lab in Parasitology/Immunology and Infectious Diseases (PARINEI) to prevent and reduce animal and human disease impact on production systems and public health by considering one health approach. In 2019 their team got 2.000.000.000 to get a new Confocal Microscopy and the Microscopy Center at the UNAL Palmira. He is part of the Editorial Board and Academic Editor in PLOS ONE (ISSN: 1932-6203) and Acta Agronomica 2323-0118

Originally from Benin Republic, Dr Houaga completed his PhD at the Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, technology and Innovation (PAUSTI-KENYA) in 2018 before taking up post as a Junior Research Scientist in Animal Genetics and Breeding at CIRDES, a livestock development research and capacity development institute in Burkina Faso. Dr Houaga is the Secretary General of the African Biogenome Project and founding member of the African Animal Breeding Network (AABNet). Dr Houaga is currently a Royal Society Newton International Fellow based at the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and the Highlander Lab at the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh. His research interests include animal quantitative genetics and genomics, statistical modelling, and breeding programme design and optimisation. His current project has two principal components: (i) animal breeding and quantitative genetics and ii) connection and application of animal breeding tools to livestock genetic improvement in Africa through the AABNet and the African Dairy Genetics Gains Programme. He is analysing genomic data and phenotypic records of pure and crossbred dairy cows in East Africa in order to develop a breeding approach that can be used in Africa to produce suitable crossbreds cattle with the desirable production, health and resilience traits required for a range of tropical dairy systems, including single house cow, the smallholder farms and the commercial dairy herds.

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Dr. Bi obtained his PhD. degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Sun Yat-Sen University in 2007 and conducted bilateral collaboration in Curie Institute of France (2007-2008) and AgResearch Ltd. of New Zealand (2014-2015). He joined Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences since October 2010 and is currently the Vice Head of the Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine. His research of interest is gene editing-oriented livestock germplasm innovation and improvement. Dr. Bi created the first marker-free myostatin knockout pigs by combining CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre/LoxP technologies, and this new line of leaner pigs has been on the second phase of GMO biosafety evaluation in China. Dr. Bi made the international first anti-Afrian Swine Fever gene edited pigs by dual sgRNA-mediated DNA excision in the host receptor that is critical to the entry of ASF virus into porcine cells. He designed a “gene trapping” strategy to make use of endogenous porcine myostatin cis-regulatory elements to drive the IGF-Ⅰexpression so as to enhance pig growth performance, which had been granted the second prize of Hubei Technological Innovation Award in 2016. He conceptualized and actualized dual fluorescence-assisted selection to greatly improve the on-target gene editing efficiency relative to traditional gene targeting method. He was recognized as the”Excellent Young Scientist in Agriculture” in 2022, “Outstanding Young Scientist” of Hubei Natural Science Foundation in 2018, “Outstanding Young Scientist in Agricultural Research” of Central China Agricultural Innovation Coalition in 2017, “Young Pillar Talent” of Hubei Province in 2015. He co-authored 14 peer-reviewed publications with total IF of 59 and had 7 patents. He was also invited for academic talks in 13 national and international science conferences. Dr. Bi is now the senior member of Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, executive director of the Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine of Hubei Province, and executive director of the Association of Genetics of Hubei Province.

Dr. Yang Yayuan studied food science and engineering at California State University Fresno from August 2009 to June 2012. After that, she worked as an internal inspector and international sales in Gansu Dahe Ecological Food Co., Ltd. She received her doctorate in animal food nutrition and engineering from Gansu Agricultural University in June 2020. At present, Dr. Yang Yayuan is an assistant researcher in Lanzhou Institute of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Her main research interests are the processing of livestock products and the impact of intestinal microorganisms on meat quality.

Leticia M. Estevinho received the Zootechnical Engineering degree (summa cum laude) in 1985 and the M.S. degree in biotechnology (with merit) in 1989. In 1995, finished the PhD degree in Science given by Minho University, Braga, Portugal. In 2009, passed with merit the proofs of Agregação - the last step in the academic career in Portugal. Estevinho has worked in Agricultural College of Braganca, Braganca, Portugal, since 1986 and has great experience in students’ coordination (16 PhD students and three Postdoctoral researchers). Leticia M. Estevinho has published more than 173 articles in indexed international journals, written five book chapters and has presented more 160 oral and written communications. Was the principal investigator of more than 25 scientific projects, totally financed, and has published 4 patents. She is the Head of the Microbiology Laboratory since 1986. Was the editor-in-chief of three journals and currently belongs to the editorial board of 38 international journals; has revised more than 300 articles of indexed journals. Nowadays, Estevinho serves as a Coordinator Professor with Agregação in the Polytechnic Institute of Braganca, Portugal.

Prof. Patrizia Licata is Associate Professor at Department of Veterinary Science, University of Messina, Italy. She received her PhD degree in Veterinary Medicine, she won a post PhD scholarship in Veterinary Medicine and then she became an Assistant Professor in Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology. She collaborates with other scientific structures and national and international research groups. In particular the scientific activity of Prof. Patrizia Licata concernes different topics of pharmaco-toxicological interest and in particular is characterized by: studies of ecotoxicology and risk from xenobiotics, investigation on the effects of xenobiotics with potential endocrine or carcinogenic activity on fish models, studies on the in vivo and in vitro effects of anti-inflammatory substances, research for contaminants in fresh and processed foods for humans. Prof. Patrizia Licata has published articles in peer reviewed international journals and scientific books in the field of veterinary toxicology and pharmacology, pharmacological activity of natural substances. She has been a speaker at numerous international and national congresses.