Perspectives on sustainable life of dairy cattle: How to make sure cows age well
Special seminar by Dr. Elsa Vasseur, Research Associate, Organic Dairy Research Center, University of Guelph
All Staff and Students are encouraged to attend.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Dr. Vasseur received her BSc in Food Technology and Environmental Sciences and her MSc in Agriculture Sciences (with a specialization in Rural Development) – both from the Higher Institute of Agriculture in Lille, France in 2002 and 2004, respectively. She followed up with a second MSc in Animal Sciences (specializing in Animal Behaviour) from AgroParisTech in 2005, before coming to Québec to pursue her PhD at Université Laval in 2009. Her doctoral studies saw her gain experience at AAFC Lennoxville and the Institute of Livestock Sciences in Vienna, Austria. She continued her work in Animal Welfare and Behaviour as a PDF at the University of British Columbia, and later as an NSERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at AAFC Agassiz, BC, before being hired as a Research Associate at the Organic Research Centre at the University of Guelph’s Alfred Campus.
Elsa’s research interests focus on the behaviour of farm animals, mainly dairy cows, as a key indicator of how their environment influences their welfare, and applying this knowledge to identify practical improvements on commercial farms. Specifically, she is interested in
- Investigating risk factors to cow longevity;
- Defining better standards for management systems; and
- Understanding the barriers to the adoption of these management practices.
Dr. Vasseur is a candidate for the NSERC-Novalait-DFC Industry Research Chair in Sustainable Life of Dairy Cattle