Mario Calus

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.