Professor Appolinaire Djikeng

Director - Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health

Street: The Roslin Institute
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian
City
Post code: EH25 9RG

Willingness to take Ph.D. students: Yes
Livestock comparative genomics Small ruminants comparative and functional genomics Small ruminants metagenomics

Biography

Background

I have close to 20 years’ experience leading multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional and global research and development programs focusing on agricultural development and human health.

Between 1999 and 2009, I conducted research at Yale University and the J. Craig Venter Institute focusing on infectious diseases, regulation of gene expression, mechanism of RNA interference, functional genomics of African trypanosomes (as key pathogens of humans and livestock animals), infectious and zoonotic diseases, technology development for multiplex viral genome sequencing and metagenomics. From 2009 to March 2017, based in Nairobi-Kenya, in my roles first as Deputy and then as Director of Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA), I built research and support teams, mobilized resources, developed innovative partnerships (with donors, research institutions, universities and national programs in LMICs) to establish and operate a leading biosciences research for development program currently operating as a key contributor to agricultural development and food safety in African. While at BecA, my research interests included livestock genetics, diversity assessment to support breeding/selections programs, animal health

From April 2017, I moved to the University of Edinburgh with appointments as i) Director of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, and ii) Professor and Chair for Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development.

Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Brunel Univ, Brunel University The genome of Trypanosoma brucei

Responsibilities & affiliations

Director, Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH)

Chair of Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development

Collaborative Activity

Current activities of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health are conducted in collaboration with:

- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Scotland

- Rothamsted Research and Global Farm Platform, UK

- The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya

- Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA), Nairobi, Kenya

- Agricultural Research Council (ARC), South Africa

- University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia

Research

Research summary

Livestock comparative genomics, functional genomics and metagenomics.
Tropical livestock adaptation, resilience and productivity
Tropical agriculture and sustainable development

Current research interests

My research group is under development and will be established both in the Edinburgh and Nairobi (Kenya) nodes of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH). Research in my group will primarily focus on comparative genomics, functional genomics and metagenomcs with the following objectives: - development of tools and solutions for use to improve tropical livestock productivity and resilience - characterization and conservation of tropical livestock genetic diversity Other activities in my group include the development of new opportunities to harness livestock in low and middle incomes countries (LMICs) as a driver for agricultural development and a major contributor to sustainable development. Research Groups My research group is under development and will be established both in the Edinburgh and Nairobi (Kenya) nodes of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH). Research in my group will primarily focus on comparative genomics, functional genomics and metagenomcs with the following objectives: - development of tools and solutions for use to improve tropical livestock productivity and resilience - characterization and conservation of tropical livestock genetic diversity Other activities in my group include the development of new opportunities to harness livestock in low and middle incomes countries (LMICs) as a driver for agricultural development and a major contributor to sustainable development.