Jan Dijkstra is an Associate Professor at Wageningen University specializing in Animal Nutrition . His research focuses on dairy cattle nutrition, methane emissions, and nutrient efficiency. Academic Rank: Associate Professor Department: Animal Nutrition His work emphasizes: Mathematical modelling of methane production Phosphorus and nitrogen balance optimization Feed supplementation strategies for reduced emissions Genotype-environment interactions in dairy systems Recent publications highlight advancements in methane mitigation , nutrient cycling , and rumen microbiome dynamics . He serves as a promotor for multiple PhD projects and contributes to datasets on equine microbiomes and rumen metabolites. Scientific Awards American Feed Industry Association Award (2015) Publicatieprijs ASG (2013) Supervision PhD candidates: Kozorezov, Henry, Koning, Vivares Martinez EngD candidate: Holshof
Jan Dijkstra is an Associate Professor at the Animal Nutrition Group of Wageningen University & Research , with an Adjunct Professor appointment at the University of Guelph since 2009. His work focuses on modeling digestive and metabolic processes in dairy cattle to enhance health, reduce environmental impact, and improve profitability. He has led major projects integrating dynamic mechanistic models with experimental research and secured over €10 million in grants. Research Themes : Methane emission reduction, rumen fermentation, nutritional physiology, seaweed-based feed additives (e.g., Asparagopsis taxiformis ), and protein/energy metabolism. Key Methods : Mathematical and computational modeling, in vivo and in vitro trials, bromoform analysis via GCxGC-TOFMS, and histological evaluations of rumen health. Scientific Leadership : Chair, MODNUT (International Workshop on Modeling Nutrient Utilization in Farm Animals, 2018–present) Co-chair, Feed and Nutrition Network (Global Research Alliance, 2012–2019) Member, International Symposium on Nutrition of Herbivores (2003–2014) Grants and Projects : Over €10 million in funding (past 5 years), involving 10 PhD students and 2 postdocs. Projects include assessing the safety of Asparagopsis taxiformis in dairy diets and developing antimethanogenic feed strategies.
Soumya Kar is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research , specializing in animal nutrition and gut health. Their work bridges microbiome analysis, alternative protein development, and stress adaptation in livestock. Key Research Areas: Gut microbiome interactions, methane emission reduction in dairy cattle, intestinal integrity in broilers, epigenetic responses to heat stress, and insect-based feed alternatives. Notable Projects include leading 'Coupling gut metabolome to microbiome' and 'MicroBiome @ WUR.nl'. Their research has been featured in Frontiers in Microbiomes and Frontiers in Veterinary Science , with datasets on amine metabolites and endotoxin exposure. Collaborations span Wageningen teams and international partners, focusing on sustainable livestock systems and protein alternatives like black soldier fly larvae. Their work appears in 54 total research outputs, including 23 peer-reviewed articles.
Lisanne Koning is a researcher and PhD candidate in Animal Nutrition at Wageningen University & Research , focusing on methane emissions from dairy cattle. Her work explores the interplay between dietary factors, rumen microbiomes, and environmental impacts. Current research includes farm-level microbial community analysis and methane intensity in dairy systems Active projects investigate fresh grass diets, grazing management, and rumen microbiome engineering Her studies, such as "Farm conditions shape microbial communities..." (2025) and "Minimum number of spot measurements..." (2024), reveal trends in methane quantification, rumen microbiome manipulation, and sustainable feeding strategies. She collaborates with institutions like Wageningen Livestock Research on LVVN-funded projects, including KE2023 B3 Grassland Management and NAPRO initiatives. Research Networks : European Grassland Federation, NCBI BioProject collaborations Methodologies : GreenFeed technology, sniffer systems for methane measurement Lisanne leads datasets and projects on dairy cattle nutrition, with a focus on practical applications for reducing environmental impacts through improved grazing systems and feed formulations.
Simon Oosting is a Full Professor at Wageningen University & Research in the field of Animal Production Systems . His research focuses on sustainable livestock systems, climate change impacts on agriculture, food security, and nutrient management in dairy and beef production. Active in 14+ research projects Supervises multiple PhD candidates Contributor to 277+ research outputs His recent work explores: Climate resilience in livestock farming Nitrogen circularity in food systems Alternative feed strategies He actively participates in academic and professional dialogues, with 27+ activities recorded, including keynote talks on regenerative agriculture and socio-cultural values in sustainable transitions.
Ingrid de Jong is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) within the Wageningen Institute for Animal Sciences (WIAS), holding the Dutch academic title dr.ir. (doctor ingenieur). Her work spans animal health and welfare research with primary focus on broiler chickens and pigs, actively bridging scientific findings with commercial farming applications through 408 research outputs and 49 projects including leadership roles in LVVN-funded initiatives. Her research interests include: Animal Welfare Assessment Protocols Broiler-Pig Welfare Resilience Systems Gut Microbiome-Health Interactions Behavioral Monitoring via Sensor Technologies Environmental Enrichment Optimization Light Spectrum/Intensity Effects Sustainable Feed Interventions Stocking Density Impacts Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate consistent focus on broiler welfare assessment refinement, particularly intestinal integrity detection and lighting systems, while expanding into pig resilience through sensor-driven early warning models. Her work emphasizes practical implementation in EU commercial farms with strong interdisciplinary connections between veterinary science, microbiome research, and precision livestock technology. No scientific awards were mentioned in the provided materials. She serves as co-promotor for PhD candidate Wu, Z. on early feeding interventions and leads multiple Dutch-funded projects including Veerkrachtige dierhouderijsystemen (resilient livestock systems) and FUNCTILIGHT. Her grant portfolio centers on welfare-economic-environmental tradeoffs in livestock production, with active collaboration across academia, industry, and policy bodies like the European Food Safety Authority. Dr. de Jong co-founded the BroilerNet innovation network connecting practice and science in broiler production and contributed to the Greenwell project assessing welfare, environmental impact, and economy of broiler systems. Her work integrates optical flow analysis, RFID monitoring, and microbiome sequencing through WIAS facilities, with ongoing projects targeting sensor fusion for welfare prediction and One Health synergies.
Dr. Thomas Schonewille is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Utrecht University, specializing in the Department of Population Health Sciences under Farm Animal Health Care. His expertise spans animal nutrition, mineral metabolism, and sustainable ruminant health, contributing significantly to research aimed at improving livestock productivity and health. Current role: Associate Professor in Farm Animal Health Research focus: Dairy cattle nutrition, mineral utilization, sustainable livestock systems Editorial activity: Senior editor/reviewer for Animal journal (2012-2015) He has led international collaborations, including a 3-year EU-funded project (2007-2010) to enhance ruminant feeding strategies using locally available feed sources, benefiting both European and Asian agricultural communities. As an educator, he contributes to Master's-level veterinary programs and teaches courses on small ruminants, sustainable animal production, and cross-species clinical practices. His professional network includes: Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (Visiting Researcher, 2015) Active member of editorial boards and committees for Animal journal
Martine Bruinenberg is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research , specializing in animal nutrition and sustainable agricultural practices. Her work focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cattle through innovations in grazing systems, feed formulation, and manure management. Key Research Areas: Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Agriculture Grassland Management for Emission Reduction Optimizing Nitrogen and Protein Use in Dairy Diets Recent projects include dynamic wireless grazing systems and evaluating the impact of silage inoculants on methane and carbon dioxide emissions. Her publications highlight collaborations on improving forage quality and balancing nutrient cycles within legal limits.
Leon Sebek is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in reducing methane emissions in dairy cattle through innovative feed management and microbiome analysis. His work focuses on agroecology practices, rumen microbiology, and sustainable livestock systems. He leads projects such as B12 (Methane Emission Guidelines) and B8 (Roughage Quality & Emission Reduction), aiming to bridge scientific insights with practical farm applications. Research Interests: Sebek’s primary focus is on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farming. He investigates how feed characteristics (e.g., grass silage composition) and microbial communities in the rumen influence methane production. By studying heritability of emission traits and mother-offspring microbiome transmission, he seeks long-term solutions for sustainable dairy systems. Projects & Collaboration: Collaborations include studies on methane-sniffer technology for genetic evaluations and agroecology’s impact on microbial communities. He actively advises on emission reduction strategies for farmers, as seen in projects like ‘Praktijktoepassing voermanagement’ (2022). His work is published in journals like Frontiers in Microbiomes and disseminated via expert commentary in media outlets. Grants & Leadership: As project leader for LVVN-funded initiatives (e.g., Methane 100%, Microbioom in NH3 Relation), he secures and manages research grants totaling millions. His activities include consultancy on ammonia emissions and keynote lectures on sustainable livestock systems.
Dr. Ruurd Jorritsma is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University , specializing in Population Health Sciences with a focus on Metabolic Diseases in Dairy Cows and Calf Health . He coordinates educational components in the Veterinary Medicine program and organizes lateral entry pathways for master's students. Education: PhD in Veterinary Medicine (2003) from Utrecht University Research Themes: Antimicrobial Resistance, Bovine Herd Health, Pathways to Sustainability His research integrates precision livestock farming with metabolic disease prevention, particularly exploring subclinical ketosis , digital dermatitis , and colostrum management . Recent work includes antimicrobial alternatives and Bayesian predictive modeling for herd health. Key publications address: Wound healing in disbudded calves Ketosis economics and diagnostics Reproductive tract scoring in beef heifers Colostrum immunity transfer practices Professional roles include: Board member, Gustav Rosenberger Memorial Fund Member, Veterinary Medicines Authorisation Committee Consultant for Dutch Ministry of Agriculture on animal diseases He leads clinical teaching in endocrinology and epidemiology , while developing continuing education programs for cattle veterinarians on dry cow management and viral disease control .
E.A.M. Bokkers is an Associate Professor in Animal Production Systems at Wageningen University, with extensive expertise in livestock management and animal welfare. Their research focuses on dairy and pig production systems, particularly examining cow-calf contact dynamics, feeding behavior deviations, and environmental impacts on animal health. Active in circular agriculture research Specializes in dairy cattle welfare and pig welfare Led 29 projects with 6 currently active Research interests span Animal Science , Agri-food Systems , and Sustainable Livestock Management . They have supervised 22 PhD students and contributed to 384 research outputs. Key projects include Feeding leftovers to poultry , Regenerative agriculture welfare implications , and Circular feed ingredients for pigs . Recent work explores light spectrum effects on pig behavior, weaning impacts in dairy systems, and feed intake optimization . They have published in journals like Journal of Dairy Science and Applied Animal Behaviour Science , with datasets available through Zenodo and Wageningen University repositories.
Belen Rabaglino is an Assistant Professor in Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University's Department of Population Health Sciences, specializing in Farm Animal Health. She holds a PhD in Animal Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Florida and has held postdoctoral roles at institutions such as University College Dublin and the Technical University of Denmark. Her research focuses on applying transcriptomics and machine learning to understand endometrial biology and embryonic development in ruminants, particularly leveraging omics technologies to decode biological complexity. Education includes a PhD from the University of Florida, an MSc in Veterinary Medical Sciences, and a Veterinary Doctorate from the National University of Rio Cuarto, Argentina. Her expertise spans reproductive biology, data science, and bioinformatics, with a strong emphasis on integrating multi-omics data to address challenges in animal reproduction and pregnancy establishment. Her work combines innovative techniques like machine learning with traditional methodologies to analyze large-scale biological datasets. Key research areas include the molecular mechanisms underlying pregnancy success in cattle, particularly how endometrial interactions and embryonic development are influenced by in vitro conditions and genetic factors. Rabaglino has contributed to identifying biomarkers predictive of embryo competence and optimizing in vitro embryo production techniques. Publications highlight advancements in decoding bovine pregnancy's molecular complexity, including studies on epigenetic regulation, transcriptomic profiling of oocytes, and the impact of environmental factors like nutrition and chemical exposure on reproductive outcomes. She collaborates internationally on projects funded by grants such as Marie Curie Fellowships and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Her teaching and research activities emphasize sustainable ruminant health, integrating data-driven approaches to improve livestock productivity and reproductive efficiency. Rabaglino is part of Utrecht University's 'Pathways to Sustainability' initiative, applying her expertise to address challenges in animal agriculture through interdisciplinary research.
Dr. Rebecca Nordquist is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health Sciences, specializing in Animals in Science & Society. She serves as Principal Investigator in the Behaviour and Welfare in Farm Animals research group and is a key member of Future Food Utrecht as Vice-Chair of its Executive Board. Additionally, she leads the European COST Action Working Group on Societal Impacts of Understanding Animals' Affective States within Affect-Evo. Dr. Nordquist's research focuses on the intersection of animal welfare and sustainable food systems, with particular expertise in animal cognition and behavior in farm animals. Her work develops innovative approaches to assess and improve farm animal welfare, especially during transitions to sustainable food production systems. She has pioneered behavioral tests for assessing learning and emotionality in chickens and pigs, demonstrating how farming practices affect cognitive development in farm animals and exploring the implications of farm animals' cognitive capabilities for welfare assessment. Analysis of Dr. Nordquist's recent publications reveals a strong focus on cognitive testing methodologies for farm animals, particularly pigs and poultry. Her work integrates neuroscience, endocrinology, and behavioral observation to develop comprehensive welfare assessment tools. Key themes include the effects of birth weight and order on cognitive development, stress biomarkers like cortisol in wool and feathers, and the development of judgment bias tests to assess emotional states in farm animals. Her research increasingly connects animal welfare science with sustainable agriculture transitions. Dr. Nordquist is deeply committed to community engagement in both teaching and research. As Faculty Ambassador and Program Board member of Community Engaged Learning at Utrecht University, she actively bridges academic research with community needs. She regularly participates in public events to bring science to the Utrecht community and frequently appears in mainstream media to discuss animal welfare and sustainable food systems. Her laboratory work focuses on developing and validating cognitive tests for farm animals, particularly the holeboard task for spatial memory assessment. She leads interdisciplinary teams investigating circular agriculture and resilient food systems, with specific attention to how sustainable transitions affect farm animal welfare. Her research group collaborates with social scientists, law scholars, philosophers, and societal partners across Europe through the COST Action Affect-Evo.
Eline Burgers is a researcher in the Animal Nutrition department at Wageningen University . Her work focuses on dairy cow physiology, lactation optimization, and intergenerational effects in cattle systems. Certified researcher with Scopus profile Active in precision livestock farming and machine learning applications ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1586-1570 Research interests center on dairy cattle nutrition , reproductive performance , and milk production efficiency , with emphasis on: Customized lactation length optimization Preconception and gestational influences Wireless grazing system implementation Metabolic health monitoring Calving interval management Offspring development studies Her publications demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches combining animal science with data analytics , featuring collaborations across European research institutions. Recent activities include presentations at the European Federation of Animal Science annual meetings and contributions to professional media discussions about extended lactation impacts on dairy systems.
Gert van Duinkerken is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research , focusing on dairy cattle nutrition , enteric methane mitigation , and climate-resilient livestock systems . He serves as a Business Unit Manager at WIAS, leading projects like Feed4Foodure III and Ruwvoer, bodem & kringlooplandbouw . Key research areas: Dairy Cattle , Rumen Physiology , Circular Agriculture , Methane Mitigation His work integrates feed additives (e.g., seaweed) to reduce methane emissions while optimizing lactational performance . He actively collaborates on sustainable agrifood systems and participates in international conferences like GFFA and EAAP meetings. Recent projects explore dry period length effects on rumen adaptation and regional nutrient cycling. He has supervised PhD candidate W. Muizelaar in methane mitigation research. Van Duinkerken contributes to public discourse through media engagements (e.g., Varkens.nl, EAAP webinars), emphasizing practical implementation of sustainable practices in dairy farming.
