Teagasc Walsh Fellowships Seminar
The Teagasc Walsh Fellowships seminar organised in partnership with the RDS took place in Dublin yesterday 10 November.
The winner of the best oral presentation and winner of RDS medal was Aideen Kennedy, who is based at the Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark and at the Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown. The title of her presentation was: Epidemiological investigations into Johne’s disease on Irish dairy farms. Aideen was presented with her medal by Tom Kirley from the RDS.
The Best Food research presentation and winner of the Institute of Food Science and Technology Ireland (IFSTI) medal was Aoife Buggy. Aoife is based at the Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark and at the Department of Chemistry in the National University of Ireland Maynooth. The title of her presentation was: Effect of α-lactalbumin concentration on the stability of infant milk formula under differing process condition. Professor Alan Reilly, representing IFSTI, presented Aoife with the IFSTI medal.
The award for the best poster went to Jessica Coyne. Jessica is based at the Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre in Moorepark and also works with the Biometrical Genetics Department at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), FI-31600 Jokioinen, Finland and at the Department of Agricultural Science in the University of Helsinki in Finland. The title of Jessica’s presentation was: Genetics of longitudinal growth and feed efficiency data.
Thirteen PhD Walsh Fellow Students made oral presentations of their research findings at the seminar. In addition, 42 Walsh fellows presented posters outlining their research. A book of abstracts of the presentations and posters is available at Teagasc Walsh Fellowships Seminar 2016
Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle said: “Technological change over the next 20 years, whether it arises in the form of the adoption of new production techniques, new products or services, or structural changes, will require changes in the stock of human capital throughout the value chain system. Our food companies will have to invest much more in their innovation capability, primarily through the recruitment of skilled scientists up to and including PhD level.”
Neil Foster, Commercial manager with Nuritas, was the guest speaker at the seminar. Addressing the Walsh Fellows he outlined how scientists can be successful entrepreneurs and business people. Using Nutrias as an example, he spoke about how the company uses artificial intelligence and DNA analysis to data mine peptides and do it faster, more accurately and cheaper than was possible traditionally. Nuritas has grown in size from a start-up company in 2014, with just 2 people working in it, to 20 staff today.