Laura Boyle

Research Interests

• Interrelationship between animal health and animal welfare
• Contribution animal welfare can make to reducing use of antibiotics and the overall sustainability of animal agriculture
• Contribution of data on animal based outcomes measured at the abattoir to improving animal welfare on-farm
• Private standards in quality assurance and labelling
• Alternative/One Welfare friendly animal production systems

Career

I am a Senior Research Officer in the Pig Development Department. After completing my bachelors of agricultural science degree (1994) I worked with the French National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA) in the Laboratory of Behaviour and Reproductive Physiology at the Research Centre of Tours in France (1995). I returned to Ireland to commence a programme of postgraduate research (Masters–1996; PhD-2000) under the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship Programme registered with University College Dublin and based at Teagasc Moorepark. I started my first post as a research officer with the pig department at Moorepark in 2000 and worked across the pig and dairy departments from 2003 to 2008. 

Current Projects

• OneWelPig: A One Welfare approach to the development of alternative and high welfare systems of pig production https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/pigs/research/research-projects/onewelpig-project/
• EarWel: Elucidating etiology and risk factors for ear necrosis on Irish pig farms
• PIGNODOCK: Transitioning to rearing pigs without docking tails through development of risk assessment tools (project partner)

Education

• Ph.D. in Animal Science, University College Dublin
• Master of Agricultural Science, University College Dublin
• Bachelor of Agriculture Science (Animal Science), University College Dublin

Professional Membership

• European College of Animal Welfare and Behaviour Medicine - Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law (Associate member)
• President (acting) European Association for Animal Production (EAAP) Health and Welfare Study Commission
• President EAAP working group on animal behaviour
• European Food Safety Authority ad hoc expert panel on pig welfare

Society membership

• International Society for Applied Ethology
• British Society of Animal Science
• European Association for Animal Production

International committees

• One Welfare Silkworm Advisory Board
• World Animal Protection 3T’s Alliance

Editorial board membership

• Frontiers in Veterinary Science Associate Editor: Animal Behavior and Welfare (Speciality Chief Editor)

• Publications