Pork CRC APSA Awards to Inspired Scientists

December 18, 2015

Lechelle van Breda at APSA 2015

Pork CRC supported PhD candidate at University of Sydney, Lechelle van Breda, won Pork CRC’s ‘Best Presentation and best first time presentation’ award at the 2015 Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA) biennial conference in Melbourne.

Pork CRC supported PhD candidate at University of Sydney, Lechelle van Breda,
won Pork CRC’s ‘Best Presentation and best first time presentation’ award at the 2015 Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA) biennial conference in Melbourne.
Her presentation, ‘Antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from pre- and post-weaned piglets: a snapshot survey of Australia’, was judged the best presentation at APSA on Pork CRC supported research.
“By virtue of winning the main award, Lechelle also won our award for the best first time presentation or young scientist award and this has never happened before,” said Pork CRC CEO, Roger Campbell.
“The awards were judged by a panel of six experts in the fields of science, communications and pork production and while the competition was close, Lechelle’s presentation was the clear winner.”
The panel comprised Roger Campbell and Charles Rikard-Bell, both of Pork CRC, Robyn Terry and Pat Mitchell, both of APL, Tony Edwards of ACE Livestock Consulting and Dave Cadogan of Feedworks.
Dr Campbell commended all Pork CRC supported presenters at APSA and paid special tribute to the students who he described as “enthusiastically aspirational in all cases and scientifically inspirational in many cases”.
Ms van Breda, who received $2000 for the awards, acknowledged the assistance of University of Sydney colleagues, Andrew Ginn, Om Dhungyel, Jonathan Iredell and Michael Ward.
She said that Australia’s pig industry experienced outbreaks of pre and post weaning diarrhoea caused by E. coli and this was linked to reduced growth rates, high medication costs and high levels of mortality and morbidity.
“Antibiotics are often used for treatment at weaning, but E. coli can develop resistance over time, which is concerning for effective control of E. coli disease,” she explained.

Cherie Collins at APSA 2015

Dr Cherie Collins of Pork CRC Participant, Rivalea Australia, received $1000 for the best poster on a Pork CRC supported project at APSA 2015.

Also at APSA, Cherie Collins of Pork CRC Participant, Rivalea Australia, received $1000 for the best poster on a Pork CRC supported project, for her poster ‘Aerosol disinfection from weaning: a pilot study to assess the impacts on clinical signs of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae’.
 Dr Collins acknowledged the work of Peter McKenzie, Sam Beer, Kirrily O’Halloran and Anke Woeckel, who assisted her with the pilot study.
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