Speakers

Dr. Eugeni Roura

Professor of Poultry Nutrition | The University of Queensland, Australia
Prof. Eugeni Roura is an internationally recognized scientist in poultry and animal nutrition, currently serving at The University of Queensland within the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI). His research focuses on poultry nutrition, gut health, nutrient sensing, digestive physiology, and sustainable production systems. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and delivered keynote lectures at major international conferences worldwide. Prof. Roura currently serves as President of the World's Poultry Science Association and has contributed extensively to both academia and industry through innovative research in nutrition and health sciences. His work continues to influence emerging strategies in poultry production, early nutrition, and feed innovation globally.

Dr. Doug Korver

Professor of Poultry Nutrition | University of Alberta, Canada
Prof. Doug Korver is an internationally recognized poultry nutrition scientist and Professor Emeritus at University of Alberta. Since 1997, he has led an influential poultry nutrition research program focusing on nutrient metabolism, feed efficiency, skeletal health, and sustainable poultry production. In 2023, he founded Alpine Poultry Nutrition to provide technical nutrition services to the global poultry industry. Prof. Korver also serves as host of the Poultry Podcast Show available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. He currently serves as President of the Poultry Science Association and is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine committee responsible for updating the NRC Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. His contributions continue to shape modern poultry nutrition research and industry practices worldwide

Dr. Mark Parcells

Professor of Molecular Virology | University of Delaware, USA
Prof. Mark Parcells is a distinguished molecular virologist at University of Delaware with appointments in Animal and Food Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Medical & Molecular Sciences. His research has primarily focused on the molecular biology and pathogenesis of Marek’s disease virus (MDV), where he developed the first recombinant MDVs retaining oncogenicity and horizontal transmission. His work has significantly advanced understanding of MDV virulence evolution, T-cell transformation, vaccinology, innate immunity, and extracellular vesicle-mediated immune responses. Prof. Parcells was honored with the prestigious József Marek Award in Hungary for his contributions to Marek’s disease research. In addition to his research, he teaches virology and immunology-related courses and actively contributes as a scientific advisor and reviewer for animal health, vaccinology, and poultry disease research initiatives internationally.

Dr. Brian Fairchild

Professor & Extension Poultry Scientist | University of Georgia, USA
Prof. Brian Fairchild is a renowned poultry physiologist and Extension Poultry Scientist at the University of Georgia. His expertise focuses on broiler management, poultry house environmental control, air quality, lighting programs, energy conservation, and water consumption and quality in poultry production systems. His research evaluates innovative management and environmental technologies aimed at improving broiler physiology, welfare, and production efficiency. Alongside his research and extension activities, Prof. Fairchild actively contributes to poultry education, teaching advanced poultry production and supporting extension training programs. He has received several prestigious awards for excellence in teaching and academic advising, including the Henry L. Marks Award for Commitment to Excellence in Teaching. His extension resources and technical publications are widely recognized within the global poultry industry.

Dr. Sami Dridi

Professor of Poultry Science, Immunogenetics | University of Arkansas, USA
Prof. Sami Dridi is an internationally recognized poultry scientist at University of Arkansas specializing in poultry nutrition, heat stress physiology, feed and water efficiency, and metabolic disorders in broilers. His research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying heat stress responses, woody breast myopathy, and sustainable poultry production systems. In 2024, Prof. Dridi received both the American Feed Industry Association Poultry Nutrition Research Award and the National Chicken Council Broiler Research Award at the annual meeting of the Poultry Science Association, recognizing the significant impact of his research on the poultry industry. His work on reducing woody breast severity has contributed to improving poultry welfare and minimizing economic losses in commercial production.

Dr. Bernd Kaspers

Professor of Animal Physiology | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Germany
Prof. Bernd Kaspers is a distinguished expert in avian immunology and animal physiology at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. With more than three decades of research experience, his work focuses on the innate and adaptive immune systems of poultry, host–pathogen interactions, mucosal immunity, and immune system development in avian species. Following his doctoral studies in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Munich, he completed postdoctoral research at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), USA. Prof. Kaspers has authored more than 115 peer-reviewed scientific publications and serves as senior editor of the internationally recognized textbook Avian Immunology (3rd Edition). His research has significantly contributed to advancing knowledge on poultry diseases including Marek’s disease, avian influenza, and Salmonella infections. Prof. Kaspers has received several prestigious honors, including the Pfizer Award for Excellence in Poultry Research and the Merck Award for Achievement in Poultry Science, recognizing his global impact in poultry immunology and health research.

Dr. Casey Owens

Professor of Poultry Meat Science | University of Arkansas, USA
Dr. Casey Owens is a Professor of Poultry Science at the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science (CEPS), University of Arkansas, where she has been serving since 2000. She was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2006 and currently holds the Novus International Professorship in Poultry Science. She also serves as Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science. Her research focuses on the relationship between preslaughter conditions, processing techniques, and poultry meat quality. A key area of her work involves understanding the development of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat in broilers and turkeys. She also investigates postmortem electrical stimulation and its effects on muscle metabolism. Her broader scientific contributions address meat tenderness, water-holding capacity, color, and sensory quality traits in poultry products.

Dr. Farina Khattak

Professor of Applied Poultry Nutrition | Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), UK
Dr. Farina Khattak is a Professor at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), contributing to Agriculture & Land-based Engineering, Monogastric Science Research, and related interdisciplinary centres. She is a poultry nutritionist with extensive experience in designing, executing, and analysing commercial and academic nutritional research projects in collaboration with national and international poultry industries. Her research primarily focuses on feed resource evaluation, nutritional strategies to enhance production performance, gut health, carcass quality, and welfare indicators in poultry species. She also works on the development and assessment of feed additives to improve nutrient utilisation and reduce environmental nutrient losses. In addition, her studies utilise chicken infection models to explore host–pathogen interactions in diseases such as Campylobacter, coccidiosis, and necrotic enteritis. Her work integrates applied and mechanistic approaches to improve poultry health, productivity, and microbial balance.

Dr. Anup Kollanoor Johny

Professor of Food Microbiology | University of Minnesota, USA
Dr. Anup Kollanoor Johny is a Professor at the University of Minnesota, United States, with a distinguished career in food safety, poultry science, and One Health–oriented research. He joined the institution in 2013 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor following postdoctoral training at the University of Connecticut and was promoted to Professor in 2026. He holds a PhD in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut, a Master’s in Veterinary Science (Animal Nutrition), and a veterinary medicine degree equivalent from Kerala Agricultural University, India. His research focuses on sustainable microbial interference strategies, phytobiotic-based interventions, and environmentally responsible poultry production systems. A major component of his work addresses multidrug-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance mitigation. He also contributes to pre- and post-harvest food safety and quality across poultry production chains. In addition, he is actively engaged in consumer and producer outreach, education, and workforce development within animal agriculture.

Dr. Metin Petek

Professor of Animal Behviour | Bursa Uludağ University, Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Metin Petek, PhD, DVM, is a Professor at Bursa Uludağ University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Türkiye, within the Department of Animal Science and Nutrition. His academic career spans more than three decades, beginning as a Research Assistant in 1990, followed by appointments as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor since 2007. He also held key administrative roles, including Director of the Institute of Health Sciences, Head of Department, and Manager of the Research and Application Center at Uludağ University. His academic work is situated at the intersection of health sciences and agricultural sciences, with a strong focus on animal production systems. Through his long-standing contribution to veterinary and zootechnical sciences, he has been actively involved in both teaching and institutional development within higher education.

Dr. ÖZGE SIZMAZ

Professor of Poultry Nutritional Diseases | Ankara University, Türkiye
Prof. ÖZGE SIZMAZ is affiliated with Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Animal Nutrition and Nutritional Diseases, where her academic work is situated within the fields of poultry nutrition and feed science. Her research expertise includes poultry nutrition, feed additives, feed technology, nutrient utilisation, and dietary supplementation strategies aimed at improving animal performance. She also works across broader animal nutrition domains, including ruminant nutrition and rumen physiology, with an interdisciplinary focus that integrates biotechnology applications in feed systems. Her scholarly contributions include meta-analytic and experimental studies, such as evaluations of fermented feed supplementation and its effects on production performance and egg quality in laying hens. Her work is positioned within life sciences and agricultural-environmental sciences, with an emphasis on advancing sustainable and efficient feeding strategies in animal production systems.

Dr. Mary Anne Amalaradjou

Professor of Food Microbiology | University of Connecticut, USA
Prof. Dr. Mary Anne Amalaradjou is a Professor of Food Microbiology in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Connecticut, United States. She holds a PhD in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut, a Master’s degree in Animal Science from the same institution, an MSc in Animal Biochemistry from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Pondicherry University, India. Her research focuses on foodborne pathogen survival, virulence mechanisms, and microbial persistence across the food chain. A central theme of her work is the application of probiotics as natural interventions to control foodborne pathogens in both poultry production and food systems. She also evaluates hurdle technologies to enhance farm-to-fork food safety and reduce pathogen transmission. In addition, her research explores probiotics as alternatives to antibiotics and as functional tools for improving gut health in poultry. She actively contributes to teaching, mentoring, and scientific leadership in food microbiology and public health.

Dr. Rebecca Nordquist

Associate Professor of Avian Behavioral Sciences | Utrecht University, Netherlands
Dr. Rebecca Nordquist is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University, Netherlands, working in the field of Animals in Science & Society, with a particular focus on animal welfare in the context of sustainable food systems. She is currently Principal Investigator in Behaviour and Welfare in Farm Animals at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University. Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in Comparative Psychology from Radboud University and a PhD in Neuroscience from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research explores the intersection of animal welfare, cognition, emotion, and neurobiology, particularly in farm animals. She has made notable contributions to understanding learning, memory, and executive function in pigs and chickens through behavioral and cognitive testing approaches. Her work critically examines how animal cognition informs welfare practices and sustainability transitions in livestock production systems. She also serves as Vice-Chair of Future Food Utrecht, contributing to interdisciplinary efforts on sustainable food system transformation.

Dr. Kate Sutton

Career Track Fellow in Avian Immunology | The University of Edinburgh, UK
Dr. Kate Sutton is a Career Track Fellow in Avian Immunology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, with close affiliation to The Roslin Institute. Her research focuses on the biology and functional diversity of innate immune cells in poultry, particularly macrophages and dendritic cells, and their roles in natural and vaccine-mediated immunity. She investigates immune cell heterogeneity in chickens and how these populations contribute to protective immune responses against infectious diseases. Her work integrates advanced immunological and molecular tools, including transgenic chicken models, multi-colour flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and transcriptomic approaches such as RNA sequencing and single-cell analysis. A key objective of her programme is to identify immune correlates of protection that can inform improved poultry vaccine design. In parallel, she is internationally recognised for developing and applying chicken organoid systems, which serve as physiologically relevant in vitro models of avian intestinal and respiratory tissues. These organoids are used to study host–pathogen interactions, epithelial barrier function, pathogen tropism, and immune responses across multiple avian species, providing a powerful platform that bridges in vitro and in vivo research in poultry health and disease.

Dr. Yan Campbell

Assistant Professor of Poultry Products Processing | North Carolina State University, USA
Dr. Yan Campbell is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist for Processing and Products in the Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University, United States. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Biosecurity from Hunan Agricultural University, a master’s degree in Plant Pathology, and a PhD in Food Science and Technology from Mississippi State University. Her research and extension program focuses on poultry meat processing across primary, secondary, and further processing systems, with an emphasis on improving product quality, process efficiency, and food safety. She also works on enhancing product shelf-life and developing value-added poultry products. In addition, her work addresses muscle and egg chemistry and biochemistry to better understand quality determinants in poultry products. Through her integrated extension and research activities, she contributes to advancing processing technologies and improving the safety and quality of poultry meat systems.

Dr. Shawna Weimer

Assistant Professor of Poultry Welfare | University of Arkansas, USA
Dr. Shawna Weimer is the Director of the Center for Food Animal Well-Being and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas, United States. She holds a PhD in Poultry Science from the University of Arkansas, along with earlier training in animal science and animal ecology from Iowa State University. Her academic and professional work integrates research, teaching, and extension activities focused on advancing science-based animal welfare practices in food animal production systems. Her research primarily addresses poultry welfare, with emphasis on noninvasive assessment of stress, lameness, and behavioral indicators in broiler production systems. She also investigates the effects of management factors such as growth rate, environmental stress, enrichment strategies, and infectious challenges on immunology, gut health, skeletal development, and overall bird welfare. Through applied animal welfare research, she works closely with industry stakeholders to translate scientific findings into practical on-farm improvements. In her leadership role at the Center for Food Animal Well-Being, she promotes evidence-based approaches to animal welfare, industry engagement, and public communication, aiming to strengthen the integration of scientific knowledge with commercial poultry production practices.