Panagiotis Kokkinias [Alumni]

Houston Group, PhD student

Current Research

Nowadays, I am in the final year of my PhD which is related with optimising within and between populations genomic prediction in aquaculture breeding. One of my projects is optimising gene flow between parallel breeding lines that can improve the accuracy of genomic prediction, increase genetic variation within lines and enhance consistency between lines in Atlantic salmon breeding programmes. Moreover, I am interested in estimates of heritability, based on both closely and distantly related individuals, by estimating pedigree-based and SNP-based h² simultaneously in one model. By that, we can increase our understanding of the variation that can be explained by SNPs at a population wide level and the effects of variants in association with SNPs. In general, I am very interested on conducting research in genomic prediction, selective breeding and quantitative genetics with a practical impact in aquaculture.

Favourite aquaculture species

Atlantic salmon for their evolutionary uniqueness, seabass for their complexity and Seriola sp. for their breeding challenges. 

Background

I started my training as an ichthyologist during my BSc in aquaculture and fisheries management in Greece. On my MSc studies, in the Reproduction and Genetics Group of Stirling University, I work on the molecular expression of genes associated with bone formation in triploid Atlantic salmon fed different nutrient packages getting familiar with a variety of molecular technics. Additionally, I have worked as a research assistant in marine biology laboratories participating in research projects relative to fish development, plasticity and deformities and also as a trainee assistant manager in a salmon production hatchery in Scotland.

• [2002 – 2010]        BSc. Aquaculture and Fisheries Management (T.E.I Messolonghi, Greece)
• [2005 – 2009]        Voluntary work (Laboratory of Marine Biology, University of Patras, Greece)
• [2011 – 2013]        Technical/Laboratory personnel (Laboratory of Marine Biology, UoC, Greece)
• [2013 – 2014]        MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture (University of Stirling)
• [2014 – 2016]        Trainee Assistant Manager (Landcatch, Scotland)
• [2016 – 2021]        PhD (The Roslin Institute, Scotland)

Interests, hopes and dreams

My short term dream is to finish my PhD and then have an active partition in research and development projects in sustainable animal breeding and genetics. In the future I would like to contribute to innovations in animal bioscience based on reproduction and livestock welfare.

In my free time, I am dreaming that I have free time...