Päivi Rajala-Schultz

Päivi Rajala-Schultz is a Professor in the Department of Production Animal Medicine within the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Helsinki. She serves as Supervisor for the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Veterinary Medicine and is affiliated with Helsinki One Health (HOH). Her research focuses on ruminant health and animal reproduction science, with particular expertise in dairy cattle health management.

• PhD from Cornell University (1994-1998)
• Diplomate of American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (2008)
• Former faculty member at The Ohio State University (1999-2015)

Professor Rajala-Schultz's research interests span veterinary epidemiology, mastitis management, dry cow therapy, and antimicrobial stewardship in dairy production. Her work emphasizes evidence-based approaches to improve dairy cattle health while promoting responsible antibiotic use. She has been instrumental in developing Nordic guidelines for mastitis therapy and has conducted extensive research on selective dry cow therapy as an alternative to blanket treatment.

Analysis of her recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a strong focus on dairy cattle udder health, with particular emphasis on selective dry cow therapy, mastitis prevention strategies, and the relationship between management practices and animal health outcomes. Her research spans both clinical field trials and epidemiological studies, often incorporating economic perspectives on veterinary interventions. Recent work has expanded to examine digital dermatitis, social hierarchy in dairy herds, and systemic inflammation markers.

• Diplomate of American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (2008)

Professor Rajala-Schultz actively supervises graduate students, including Saara Soikkanen's Master's thesis in 2023. She manages multiple research projects, including 'Überis yhteistyö' (2025-2028) funded by Valio Oy, 'ÜBERIS_tutkimusyhteistyö' (2024-2028) funded by Vetcare Oy, and 'Uberis: Streptococcus uberis' (2024-2028) funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Her research has been supported by both corporate and governmental funding sources, reflecting the practical application of her work in the dairy industry.

She manages the Farm Animal Research Laboratory of the Saari Unit, which supports her research on production animal medicine. Professor Rajala-Schultz is actively involved in Nordic collaborative research on mastitis and has presented her work at numerous international conferences, contributing to the development of evidence-based guidelines for dairy cattle health management across Europe.