Evaluating Animal Breeding Programmes

Dr. Piter Bijma has served as Assistant Professor at Wageningen University's Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre since 2001, where he has established himself as a pioneer in quantitative genetics and animal breeding. After joining Wageningen University in 1996, he completed his PhD on predicting inbreeding rates in selected populations, collaborating with Prof. John Woolliams of the Roslin Institute. His research has significantly advanced our understanding of social interactions in animal breeding through the development of Indirect Genetic Effects (IGE) models, demonstrating how these effects contribute to heritable variation and selection response. Working closely with Dr. Esther Ellen, he has shown that breeders need to modify their breeding schemes to utilize this heritable variation effectively. More recently, in collaboration with Prof. Mart de Jong, his work has expanded to integrate quantitative epidemiology with genetics, focusing on modeling disease transmission and designing breeding programs to reduce infectious disease prevalence in livestock populations. Throughout his career, he has supervised 21 PhD students and contributed significantly to both undergraduate and graduate education through courses in Animal Breeding and Genetics, Population and Quantitative Genetics, and Life History Evolution. His work has garnered significant attention, with his publications on genetic contributions and breeding value estimation being widely cited in the field. As a key instructor for MOOCs in Genetic Models for Animal Breeding and Evaluating Animal Breeding Programmes, he continues to shape the next generation of animal breeding specialists while advancing our understanding of complex genetic interactions in livestock populations.

Dr. Mario Calus has been appointed as Professor and Chair of Animal Breeding and Genomics (ABG) at Wageningen University & Research, effective September 2024, succeeding Martien Groenen. His journey began on a mixed farm with dairy cattle, leading to his studies in Animal Sciences at Wageningen University with a specialization in Animal Breeding. After completing his PhD, he joined Wageningen Livestock Research, where he has focused extensively on developing and implementing genomic prediction techniques. His work has significantly advanced the field of animal breeding, particularly through his contributions to genomic prediction - a technique using DNA fingerprints to predict animal traits for selective breeding. Through his involvement with the public-private partnership Breed4Food, he has successfully bridged academic research with practical applications in breeding companies. His research has made substantial contributions to making breeding goals more sustainable, thereby improving the entire animal production chain. As the new chair of ABG, he aims to further integrate quantitative and molecular aspects of animal breeding while expanding research to include wild animal species, contributing to biodiversity preservation and protection of vulnerable populations. His expertise spans genomic selection, breeding value estimation, and the development of sustainable breeding programs, with over 200 peer-reviewed publications demonstrating his significant impact on the field.

Dr. Han Mulder serves as Associate Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics at Wageningen University & Research, where he has established himself as a prominent researcher in quantitative genetics and animal breeding. His research focuses on improving animal resilience through breeding programs, with particular emphasis on genetic variation in uniformity and genotype by environment interactions. He has made significant contributions to understanding how fluctuations in milk yield can serve as heritable indicators for breeding healthier cows, and his work on genetic variation in phenotypic variability has advanced our understanding of trait evolution. As a key instructor for the Professional Certificate Programme in Animal Breeding and Genetics and MOOCs including "Genetic Models for Animal Breeding" and "Evaluating Animal Breeding Programmes," he helps shape the next generation of animal breeding specialists. His research has garnered significant attention, with highly cited publications on topics ranging from resilience in animal breeding programs to genome-wide association studies for litter size variability in pigs. Through his work at the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, he continues to advance our understanding of complex genetic interactions and their applications in livestock breeding, particularly focusing on developing breeding strategies that enhance both production efficiency and animal welfare. His expertise spans multiple areas including quantitative genetics, genomic selection, and the development of statistical models for analyzing genetic variation in livestock populations.

Dr. Hans Komen serves as Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics at Wageningen University & Research, where he holds a personal chair at the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre. His expertise spans aquaculture genetics, breeding program design, and fish reproduction, making him a leading authority in fish breeding programs. As coordinator of the BSc minor program in Wildlife Biodiversity, he combines his extensive knowledge of animal breeding with conservation perspectives. His work focuses on developing integrated breeding programs for fish farming, where he provides genetics expertise for improving growth, health characteristics, and product quality of farmed fish. Through his leadership in the Professional Certificate Programme in Animal Breeding and Genetics, including the MOOCs "Genetic Models for Animal Breeding" and "Evaluating Animal Breeding Programmes," he helps shape the next generation of animal breeding specialists. His research particularly emphasizes the integration of breeding, reproduction, and growing aspects of fish farming, ensuring that genetic improvements match farm environments. His work has been instrumental in establishing successful breeding programs at companies in Greece and Singapore, where he focuses on improving efficiency of growth, product quality, and fish health and survival through genetic selection.

Dr. John Bastiaansen serves as Research Associate at the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre of Wageningen University & Research, where he specializes in genomic selection and breeding program design. His research focuses on developing and implementing genomic selection methods for livestock improvement, with particular emphasis on fish breeding programs. He has made significant contributions to understanding how genetic effects interact with environmental contexts and how selection methods affect genetic variation. His work spans multiple species, including innovative research on fish exterior traits using digital image analysis for breeding programs in Greece. Through his involvement in the Professional Certificate Programme in Animal Breeding and Genetics and associated MOOCs, he helps train the next generation of animal breeding specialists. His research has advanced our understanding of genotype-by-environment interactions in breeding programs, particularly in poultry and fish species. He collaborates extensively with breeding companies to implement practical applications of genomic selection, combining traditional breeding approaches with modern genomic tools to improve livestock and aquaculture breeding programs. His expertise in statistical genomics and breeding program design has contributed to developing more efficient and sustainable animal breeding strategies.