PhD Studentship in Production Animal Epidemiology

The South Australian (SA) sheep industry is worth around $1.5 billion and is expected to increase to $1.8 billion in 2020. Endemic diseases and conditions are a considerable cost to the industry. Effective endemic condition monitoring and reduction is important to SA producers and also the wider sheep meat value chain although the cost of endemic diseases and conditions are not currently quantified. Reducing endemic conditions has direct animal and on-farm benefits through improved welfare outcomes and increasing productivity. This project is a collaboration between the SA Sheep Industry, Abattoirs, SA Government and the University of Adelaide and will address these issues. It is set up to monitor, analyse and act to reduce incidence of 21 endemic conditions which have a major cost to the sheep meat value chain in sheep processed in SA. The outcome sought is to have an established system for monitoring and reporting of condition incidence and assisting supplier networks to implement cost-effective practice change to reduce incidence of the conditions.

Project

Overall, the project aims to use abattoir recording data to reduce cost of condition incidence in SA sheep by 5% from 2016/17 levels. This will be done by improving the recordings of incidence at the abattoirs as well as use abattoir data for epidemiological risk factor studies and to quantify the costs of selected conditions. Furthermore, feedback systems from abattoir to producer will be improved and producers will be engaged to develop effective control strategies for the conditions.

A PhD position is being offered within this project and it is expected that the student will be involved in engaging with producers to develop control strategies to selected conditions as well as data collection at the abattoir. The student will work within the departments of Pathobiology, Infectious Disease and Public Health and Production Animal Health at Roseworthy Campus.

University of Adelaide

The School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences provides world-class, outcome-based education and training of animal and veterinary scientists in a research environment. Based at the Roseworthy Campus, 60km north of the Adelaide CBD and minutes from Gawler, the school is situated on a 1600 ha property that includes a working farm, full service Veterinary Health Centre teaching clinics, and a range of general purpose and specialist teaching and research facilities.

The University of Adelaide is one of Australia's leading Group of Eight, research-intensive universities and is consistently ranked among the top 1% of universities in the world. Established in 1874, it is Australia's third oldest university with a strong reputation for preparing educated leaders and delivering research outcomes that contribute to local, national and global wellbeing.

Minimum requirements

• Bachelor of Veterinary Science or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or similar relevant degree
• Interest in Epidemiology, livestock and meat industry
• Drivers licence

Desired

Experience in production animal work

Stipend

An annual stipend of $35,000 applies for this position for 3 years

Application

Please upload a cover letter with your cv addressing the position requirements listed in the advertisement. If you have any queries regarding this position, please contact Dr Torben Nielsen, telephone: +61 8 8313 7882 or email: torben.nielsen@adelaide.edu.au

Applications Close: 11.55pm, 24 August 2018

The University of Adelaide is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who meet the requirements of this position are strongly encouraged to apply.