CURRENT PROjects
PigForecast
Aims: To develop a future health and performance forecasting tool for pigs, by quantifying predictors of individual animal health and performance, using data from a multi-platform monitoring system and machine learning techniques.
Project Team: Professor Lisa Collins (PI, University of Leeds), Dr Mary Friel (University of Leeds), Dr Niamh Forde (University of Leeds), Nick Davies (PI, Karro Food Ltd).
Start/End Date: 01/04/2019 – 31/03/2022
PigForecast is funded by the BBSRC and Innovate UK through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Karro Food Ltd.
Aims: To develop a future health and performance forecasting tool for pigs, by quantifying predictors of individual animal health and performance, using data from a multi-platform monitoring system and machine learning techniques.
Project Team: Professor Lisa Collins (PI, University of Leeds), Dr Mary Friel (University of Leeds), Dr Niamh Forde (University of Leeds), Nick Davies (PI, Karro Food Ltd).
Start/End Date: 01/04/2019 – 31/03/2022
PigForecast is funded by the BBSRC and Innovate UK through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Karro Food Ltd.
ClimatePig
Aims: The research outputs will improve on-farm climate services and technology integration, ensuring future outdoor pig production is sustainable and resilient to climate variability and change.
Background: Resilient, sustainable livestock production is a major gap in the future food system. In the UK, outdoor pig production represents 40% of the breeding herd, but production efficiency and environmental impact are particularly vulnerable to changing climate and extreme weather events. This research will integrate local weather information and precision farming technology to improve our understanding of adaptation options for extreme weather events, with a view to developing a climate-smart, resilient and sustainable production system.
Bespoke individual animal tracking and monitoring will be used to quantify feeding behaviour, activity levels and non-point source manure loading at the University of Leeds farm. Local weather data collected from the farm’s weather station and high resolution short-term precipitation forecasts will be integrated with the behaviour data to develop optimised precision nutrition programs to mitigate environmental emissions for different weather conditions. Additional soil sampling will measure the impacts on soil quality and structure to gain new insights into the benefits of outdoor livestock production as part of an agricultural rotation.
Project Team: Professor Lisa Collins (PI, University of Leeds), Suzannah Turner (Project Manager, University of Leeds), Dr Ishwar Pun (University of Leeds), Professor Nigel Allinson (University of Lincoln), Professor Xujiong Ye (University of Lincoln), Jason Burgon (University of Lincoln), Dr Shakoor Hajat (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), HyunJu Lee (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), George Sorensen (University of Leeds), Professor Helen Miller (University of Leeds), Dr Marcelo Valadares Galdos (University of Leeds), Professor Pippa Chapman (University of Leeds), Professor Steven Banwart (University of Leeds), Dr Steven Dobbie (University of Leeds).
Start/End Date: 01/02/2019 – 31/01/2020
Climate Pig is funded through UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) UK Climate Resilience programme.
Aims: The research outputs will improve on-farm climate services and technology integration, ensuring future outdoor pig production is sustainable and resilient to climate variability and change.
Background: Resilient, sustainable livestock production is a major gap in the future food system. In the UK, outdoor pig production represents 40% of the breeding herd, but production efficiency and environmental impact are particularly vulnerable to changing climate and extreme weather events. This research will integrate local weather information and precision farming technology to improve our understanding of adaptation options for extreme weather events, with a view to developing a climate-smart, resilient and sustainable production system.
Bespoke individual animal tracking and monitoring will be used to quantify feeding behaviour, activity levels and non-point source manure loading at the University of Leeds farm. Local weather data collected from the farm’s weather station and high resolution short-term precipitation forecasts will be integrated with the behaviour data to develop optimised precision nutrition programs to mitigate environmental emissions for different weather conditions. Additional soil sampling will measure the impacts on soil quality and structure to gain new insights into the benefits of outdoor livestock production as part of an agricultural rotation.
Project Team: Professor Lisa Collins (PI, University of Leeds), Suzannah Turner (Project Manager, University of Leeds), Dr Ishwar Pun (University of Leeds), Professor Nigel Allinson (University of Lincoln), Professor Xujiong Ye (University of Lincoln), Jason Burgon (University of Lincoln), Dr Shakoor Hajat (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), HyunJu Lee (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), George Sorensen (University of Leeds), Professor Helen Miller (University of Leeds), Dr Marcelo Valadares Galdos (University of Leeds), Professor Pippa Chapman (University of Leeds), Professor Steven Banwart (University of Leeds), Dr Steven Dobbie (University of Leeds).
Start/End Date: 01/02/2019 – 31/01/2020
Climate Pig is funded through UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) UK Climate Resilience programme.
Animal Welfare Systems Superlab
Systems Biology for Understanding Individuality in Animal Welfare: A UK-USA-Germany nexus
A comprehensive understanding of the factors underlying individual variation will improve our use of animals in biomedical research, and will promote increased efficiency and better productivity in livestock production.
Aim and objectives: In this Partnering Award, we will bring together a multi-disciplinary team of researchers in order to forge a relationship between the UK, the US and Germany in pursuit of unravelling issues in the biology of individual differences using a systems approach, particularly in relation to animal health and welfare.
Project team: Prof Lisa Collins (University of Leeds, UK), Prof Victoria Braithwaite (Penn State University, USA; Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Germany), Prof Sonia Cavigelli (Penn State University, USA).
The Animal Welfare Systems Superlab is funded by a BBSRC USA Partnership Award.
Systems Biology for Understanding Individuality in Animal Welfare: A UK-USA-Germany nexus
A comprehensive understanding of the factors underlying individual variation will improve our use of animals in biomedical research, and will promote increased efficiency and better productivity in livestock production.
Aim and objectives: In this Partnering Award, we will bring together a multi-disciplinary team of researchers in order to forge a relationship between the UK, the US and Germany in pursuit of unravelling issues in the biology of individual differences using a systems approach, particularly in relation to animal health and welfare.
- Create AWSS- the Animal Welfare Systems Superlab, across the three research groups, for collaborative working on Frontier Topics, shared resources and joint working on papers and grant applications.
- Knowledge exchange and training for ECRs and PGRs in each lab, with inter-institutional visits.
- Host two conferences/workshops (one UK-, one US-based) delivering multi-disciplinary and frontier bioscience to the wider animal welfare community and PGRs/ECRs.
- Co-design future research proposals to continue the collaboration.
Project team: Prof Lisa Collins (University of Leeds, UK), Prof Victoria Braithwaite (Penn State University, USA; Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Germany), Prof Sonia Cavigelli (Penn State University, USA).
The Animal Welfare Systems Superlab is funded by a BBSRC USA Partnership Award.
PigSustain
Aims: To use a multi-disciplinary, integrated systems approach to model and assess the resilience of the UK pig industry historically, currently and in the future.
We will develop models to assess how the industry will likely be affected by intensification, fluctuations in consumer demand, climate change and risks associated with global production and international trade.
Project team:
Professor Lisa Collins (PI, University of Leeds), Suzannah Turner (Project manager, University of Leeds), Dr Helen Gray (University of Leeds), Dr Mary Friel (University of Leeds), Dr Conor Goold (University of Leeds), Daniel Gilson (University of Leeds), Professor Richard Bennett (University of Reading), Dr Simone Pfuderer (University of Reading), Professor Mark Birkin (University of Leeds), Dr Nik Lomax (University of Leeds), Dr William James (University of Leeds), Dr Phil Edwards (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), Dr Shakoor Hajat (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), Dr Chloe Perkins London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), Professor Nigel Allison (University of Lincoln), Professor Xujiong Ye (University of Lincoln), Dr Lei Zhang (University of Lincoln), Dr Susanna Williamson (APHA), Dr Richard Irvine (APHA), Dr Richard P Smith (APHA), Dr Sara Robertson (APHA).
Start/End Date: 01/02/2017 - 01/02/2021
Total value: £2.06M
PigSustain is funded through the Global Food Security's 'Resilience of the UK Food System Programme', with support from BBSRC, ESRC, NERC and Scottish Government.
For more information please get in touch: pigsustain@leeds.ac.uk
Aims: To use a multi-disciplinary, integrated systems approach to model and assess the resilience of the UK pig industry historically, currently and in the future.
We will develop models to assess how the industry will likely be affected by intensification, fluctuations in consumer demand, climate change and risks associated with global production and international trade.
Project team:
Professor Lisa Collins (PI, University of Leeds), Suzannah Turner (Project manager, University of Leeds), Dr Helen Gray (University of Leeds), Dr Mary Friel (University of Leeds), Dr Conor Goold (University of Leeds), Daniel Gilson (University of Leeds), Professor Richard Bennett (University of Reading), Dr Simone Pfuderer (University of Reading), Professor Mark Birkin (University of Leeds), Dr Nik Lomax (University of Leeds), Dr William James (University of Leeds), Dr Phil Edwards (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), Dr Shakoor Hajat (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), Dr Chloe Perkins London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), Professor Nigel Allison (University of Lincoln), Professor Xujiong Ye (University of Lincoln), Dr Lei Zhang (University of Lincoln), Dr Susanna Williamson (APHA), Dr Richard Irvine (APHA), Dr Richard P Smith (APHA), Dr Sara Robertson (APHA).
Start/End Date: 01/02/2017 - 01/02/2021
Total value: £2.06M
PigSustain is funded through the Global Food Security's 'Resilience of the UK Food System Programme', with support from BBSRC, ESRC, NERC and Scottish Government.
For more information please get in touch: pigsustain@leeds.ac.uk
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STRAYS
Aims: The aim of the STRAYS project is to investigate and compare different methods for long-term stray dog population management through a series of computer simulations. This will allow us to directly quantify the long term effectiveness and sustainability of the catch-neuter-release method compared to other stray dog population management methods (including sheltering and culling).
Background: Stray dog overpopulation is a global problem which is of social, environmental and public health concern. The STRAYS project has been developed to determine the most sustainable method of controlling the abundance of stray dogs by comparing different methods of stray dog population control. Currently methods to reduce the stray dog population size include catch-neuter-release, sheltering and culling of dogs. STRAYS aims to quantify the sustainability of these methods when considering stray dog population size, financial costs, welfare impact to the dog population and threats to public health.
Project team: Lisa Collins - Primary Scientific Partner (University of Leeds), Paolo Dalla Villa - Scientific Consultant (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise), Sabine Hartmann/Alex Munteanu - Scientific Contributor (Four Paws), Julie Sanders - Project Owner (Four Paws) and Sarah Ross - Project Manager (Four Paws), Lauren Smith - PhD Student (University of Leeds).
Start/End Date: 1st January 2017 - 30th June 2020
STRAYS is funded by Four Paws International and partners with the University of Leeds and Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM).
Find out more about STRAYS here or contact strays@leeds.ac.uk
Aims: The aim of the STRAYS project is to investigate and compare different methods for long-term stray dog population management through a series of computer simulations. This will allow us to directly quantify the long term effectiveness and sustainability of the catch-neuter-release method compared to other stray dog population management methods (including sheltering and culling).
Background: Stray dog overpopulation is a global problem which is of social, environmental and public health concern. The STRAYS project has been developed to determine the most sustainable method of controlling the abundance of stray dogs by comparing different methods of stray dog population control. Currently methods to reduce the stray dog population size include catch-neuter-release, sheltering and culling of dogs. STRAYS aims to quantify the sustainability of these methods when considering stray dog population size, financial costs, welfare impact to the dog population and threats to public health.
Project team: Lisa Collins - Primary Scientific Partner (University of Leeds), Paolo Dalla Villa - Scientific Consultant (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise), Sabine Hartmann/Alex Munteanu - Scientific Contributor (Four Paws), Julie Sanders - Project Owner (Four Paws) and Sarah Ross - Project Manager (Four Paws), Lauren Smith - PhD Student (University of Leeds).
Start/End Date: 1st January 2017 - 30th June 2020
STRAYS is funded by Four Paws International and partners with the University of Leeds and Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM).
Find out more about STRAYS here or contact strays@leeds.ac.uk
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Personality and pain experience in dogs
Aims: The aims of this project are to better understand pain conditions in domestic animals, particularly how individual differences in factors such as personality and mood may impact how an animal expresses pain. By utilising measures of personality and mood and several ways of assessing pain and gait, we hope that this project will highlight potential areas for improvement in pain diagnosis and pain monitoring in domestic dogs.
Background: A large proportion of animals will experience pain at some stage of their lives and dogs are no exception to this. The pain experienced will vary from relativity short lived mild pain, for example, after a minor surgical procedure or injury, to severe prolonged pain in some chronic conditions, for example, hip dysplasia. Any pain, but especially prolonged pain has a significant negative impact on an animal’s health, behaviour and welfare. However, both the presence and extent of pain in animals is very difficult to assess and therefore challenging to prevent, manage and treat. This project aims to determine whether consideration of the individuals differences of each dog and the impact this may have on their behaviour could be a useful and effective way of improving pain diagnosis and pain monitoring in dogs.
Project team:
Lisa Collins- Supervisor (University of Leeds), Helen Zulch-Supervisor (University of Lincoln), Dr Sandy Willmott- Supervisor (University of Lincoln) and Sarah Jane Reaney- PhD Student (University of Lincoln).
Start/End Date: 22/09/2014 - 31/09/2017
Sarah Jane Reaney was funded through the University of Lincoln research investment fund (RIF).
Aims: The aims of this project are to better understand pain conditions in domestic animals, particularly how individual differences in factors such as personality and mood may impact how an animal expresses pain. By utilising measures of personality and mood and several ways of assessing pain and gait, we hope that this project will highlight potential areas for improvement in pain diagnosis and pain monitoring in domestic dogs.
Background: A large proportion of animals will experience pain at some stage of their lives and dogs are no exception to this. The pain experienced will vary from relativity short lived mild pain, for example, after a minor surgical procedure or injury, to severe prolonged pain in some chronic conditions, for example, hip dysplasia. Any pain, but especially prolonged pain has a significant negative impact on an animal’s health, behaviour and welfare. However, both the presence and extent of pain in animals is very difficult to assess and therefore challenging to prevent, manage and treat. This project aims to determine whether consideration of the individuals differences of each dog and the impact this may have on their behaviour could be a useful and effective way of improving pain diagnosis and pain monitoring in dogs.
Project team:
Lisa Collins- Supervisor (University of Leeds), Helen Zulch-Supervisor (University of Lincoln), Dr Sandy Willmott- Supervisor (University of Lincoln) and Sarah Jane Reaney- PhD Student (University of Lincoln).
Start/End Date: 22/09/2014 - 31/09/2017
Sarah Jane Reaney was funded through the University of Lincoln research investment fund (RIF).
RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS |
Epidemiology of canine osteoarthritis in the UK dog population
Aims: The aims of this project are to identify epidemiological information of osteoarthritis such as the prevalence, severity, duration and risk factors contributing to the development of canine osteoarthritis. This project also aimed to investigate how frequently relevant behavioural signs are recorded in primary care consultations and what pain-related behaviours dogs with osteoarthritis exhibit.
Background: As a result of current and recent breeding practices, a reduction in dog health and welfare has occurred, prompting numerous studies into inherited defects of purebred dogs. Fifty of the most popular breeds owned in the UK have a predisposition to at least one inherited health defect and of these conditions, only 1% have published prevalence data. The musculoskeletal system is one of the most frequently affected systems, with large numbers of dogs experiencing varying levels of pain- which can be extremely debilitating and chronic in duration, and therefore significantly impact canine welfare. Due to the lack of published epidemiological research on osteoarthritis, further investigation is needed and therefore is the focus of this project.
Project team: Lisa Collins- Supervisor (University of Leeds), Helen Zulch- Supervisor (University of Lincoln), Dan O'Neill- Collaborator (Royal Veterinary College), David Brodbelt- Collaborator (Royal Veterinary College), Jennifer Summers- Collaborator (Royal Veterinary College), Richard Meeson- Collaborator (Royal Veterinary College), David Sargan- Collaborator (University of Cambridge) and Katharine Anderson- MRes Student (University of Lincoln)
Start date: 1st February 2016
End date: 31st May 2017
Aims: The aims of this project are to identify epidemiological information of osteoarthritis such as the prevalence, severity, duration and risk factors contributing to the development of canine osteoarthritis. This project also aimed to investigate how frequently relevant behavioural signs are recorded in primary care consultations and what pain-related behaviours dogs with osteoarthritis exhibit.
Background: As a result of current and recent breeding practices, a reduction in dog health and welfare has occurred, prompting numerous studies into inherited defects of purebred dogs. Fifty of the most popular breeds owned in the UK have a predisposition to at least one inherited health defect and of these conditions, only 1% have published prevalence data. The musculoskeletal system is one of the most frequently affected systems, with large numbers of dogs experiencing varying levels of pain- which can be extremely debilitating and chronic in duration, and therefore significantly impact canine welfare. Due to the lack of published epidemiological research on osteoarthritis, further investigation is needed and therefore is the focus of this project.
Project team: Lisa Collins- Supervisor (University of Leeds), Helen Zulch- Supervisor (University of Lincoln), Dan O'Neill- Collaborator (Royal Veterinary College), David Brodbelt- Collaborator (Royal Veterinary College), Jennifer Summers- Collaborator (Royal Veterinary College), Richard Meeson- Collaborator (Royal Veterinary College), David Sargan- Collaborator (University of Cambridge) and Katharine Anderson- MRes Student (University of Lincoln)
Start date: 1st February 2016
End date: 31st May 2017
