I am a quantitative geneticist with a background in animal science. My interest in animal breeding comes from my childhood spent on a dairy farm, where I always prefered working on the mating plan or with cows in the milking parlour rather than sitting in a tractor (this is always the case :-) ).
I obtained a PhD degree from AgroParisTech / INRA (France) in 2009 and carried out two postdoctoral stays at the University of Helsinki (Finland) and at QGG, Aarhus University. Before joining QGG in 2021, I have worked for 8 years as an engineer / consultant at IFIP - Pig Research Institute (France) where I implemented genomic selection as well as practical tools for optimal contribution selection in the main French pig breeding schemes.
Breeding programs have been instrumental in improving livestock populations and adapting them to specific production conditions. The basic principle of selective breeding is pretty simple: you keep individuals with the best combinations of traits (and genes!) as parents to produce the next generation. Yet, designing a successful breeding program is a complex task.
My research revolves around the design of sustainable animal breeding schemes and aims at addressing some major issues faced by animal breeders. It is not just about using the latest available technologies for breeding but using selection tools and technologies in a relevant way to get most of benefits and avoid detrimental consequences, if any.
To achieve this goal, I apply and further develop methods and tools to predict genetic trends for traits under selection but also the impact of selection on the overall fitness of animals (for ex. due to energetic trade-offs emerging between life functions or resulting from climate change), and genetic diversity. At QGG we strive to get these methods implemented in software that can help breeders design, tailor and implement sustainable breeding schemes.
If you are interested in this research area, feel free to reach out. We are always looking for new motivated collaborators!
I teach a few courses about animal breeding schemes at Aarhus University and Copenhagen University. My teaching approach is very pragmatic and focused on hands-on exercises to develop students' problem-solving skills.
