What is my role at EFFAB: I’m the director; someone has to 😉

My educational background:. From I can remember I love cows and my interest and love for animals was growing up during my teenage. Passion for farming and nature led me reasonably to study Agriculture Sciences in Madrid and I become a bioengineer with a master in reproduction and breeding. I have 20 years of experience in semen production and European policy related to sustainable animal breeding and farming. 

My favourite activity when I am not working:  Many basic things; reading, running, walking, visiting places and travelling, listening radio (better in Spanish)... However, my favourite one is spending time with my teenagers and friends.

My favourite European science area: I don’t know, I’m a scientist. Science is everywhere and I like it. I’m more and more interested on social and animal science cross-cutting issues. 

What is my role at EFFAB: I lead EFFAB’s participation in European Projects and their knowledge exchange and transfer to the relevant sector actors, mainly European breeding companies. I coordinate the work carried out in Communication, Dissemination and Training tasks in EFFAB projects within EFFAB and consortiums.

My educational background: I am a Veterinarian with a PhD on Agricultural Economics and Policies.

My favourite activity when I am not working: My passion is photography and I like styling and shooting fashion and food photos. I also love reading books mostly crime and sci-fi.

What have I learned about animal breeding that I didn’t know before I started here: Animal breeding could support addressing many of the societal concerns and environmental impact of animal production. Responsible and balanced breeding is a very important tool for improving animal welfare and health. However, it should be better communicated to the different levels of the society.

My favourite European science area: New genomic technologies and precision breeding tools.

What is my role at EFFAB? As a Breeding and Genetics Advisor, I consult on the CODE EFABAR for the implementation of good practices among the different members of the policy team across the EU and hopefully beyond soon. I also support the FABRE TP and EFFAB members for the coordination of the gene-editing network.

My educational background: I was always interested in Science, Technology, and Human interaction and was not sure where to go when I was younger. After an internship in a breeding company, I realised that was the best sector, and therefore went to study Agricultural Science and Technology in Mauritius and then Animal Breeding and Genetics at the Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien. This sector seems to be so narrow and focused, but it is in my opinion the best inter-disciplinary sector–we get to learn people's culture, perspectives and social interaction to animal breeding, genomics and welfare. So much to learn!

My favourite activity when I am not working: I love to cook and bake for my friends and family. I enjoy making Indian and Mauritian dishes and cheesecake. I love a good trip to the beach, mountains and camping and weekly outdoor games at the park or board game/video games on rainy days or stay-in nights with my partner.

What have I learned about animal breeding that I didn’t know before I started here: The amount of work being done in general regarding animal welfare and how far it went.

My favourite European science area: I have to say that aside of agricultural and animal science, I have a pet peeve for animal behaviour based on environmental/social interaction-how do they adapt or react to changes or situations with their peers or other animals. I do also love programming; I try to learn R at home for statistics and genomic analysis.

What is your role at EFFAB: I am currently working on different policy initiatives at the EU level, such as animal welfare, animal health and the overall sustainability of food systems by representing the animal breeding sector and interests.

My educational background: I studied Political Science at the Universidade do Minho in Braga, Portugal.

My favourite activity when I am not working: In my free time, I enjoy the simple things in life, like socializing with friends and family, reading and consuming all sorts of media. But, I would have to admit that my favorite activity when I'm not working is probably going on vacation!

What I have learned about animal breeding that I didn’t know before I started at EFFAB: My knowledge of animal breeding was narrow and limited to the general ideal, before starting at EFFAB, since then I've managed to grasp some pretty interesting topics, such as feed efficiency or disease resistance.

My favourite European science area: I would have to say Economics is probably the one I find most interesting.

 

What is my role at EFFAB: I work, together with Maureen, on the communication activities and strategy of EFFAB. The challenge is to make specific topics understandable and catchy to the widest public possible.

My educational background: I have a bachelor degree in Communication Science at Università degli Studi di Torino with a thesis in music and social integration. During the bachelor I had the chance to study within the Erasmus+ framework both at the University of Helsinki (Finland) and Kaunas (Lithuania). I have also a master in Philosophy of Communication with a thesis on digitalisation of a sensorial museum focused on the relationship between agricultural production, social conditions and traditional recipes. Here is when I started being deeply interested in agriculture.

My favourite activity when I am not working: I love hiking in the mountains and in more in general the long distance walk (I walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela three times). When I am not walking, they say I make a fantastic risotto.

My favourite European science area: Aside from agriculture, I am passionate about digital transition and Artificial Intelligence.

What is my role at EFFAB: Together with Remark, I contribute to communicate Effab’s mission, values, activities and collaborations throughout all communicational channels. We help in translating the scientific and technical niche language into a more dynamic and simpler narrative for everyone.

My educational background:  I have a bachelor degree in Communications and a master degree in Film and Television, but I like to consider myself as a Storyteller. Telling stories is what I enjoy the most, no matter the format and no matter the subject. 

My favourite activity when I am not working: I am a fan of outdoor activities, especially water sports. A perfect day would also be rollerskating on a sunny day at the beachside, but you can always find me perfecting sourdough recipes while I talk about UFOs.

My favourite European science area: I come from Chile, the country with the clearest skies in the world, so it is natural to say that Astronomy is my favourite science area. I also have a soft spot for Agriculture, especially fruit tree cultivation is near and dear to my heart.

What is my role at EFFAB: I am a project manager helping drive EFFABs participation in European projects with the aim of adding value through knowledge exchange and transfer of research results to a wide range of stakeholders and partners with the ultimate effect of shaping positive impact on current and future policies.

My educational background: I am a veterinarian, and since graduating I have had a diverse career applying my knowledge and skills across a number of sectors and countries.

My favourite activity when I am not working: I enjoy the simple things in life, cooking, reading, socialising with friends and family, live music, discovery of hidden quirky villages in Belgium and as much time in nature and rural life that I can muster, the latter forming a nice contrast to the city during the week. Whenever (or wherever can) I am a cold water dipper, and a wannabe cold water swimmer. On occasion, I dabble in sean nós dancing.

What I have learnt about animal breeding: I see how applicable and relevant this often considered ‘niche’ industry is, i.e. it is a lot more than pure genetics! Animal breeding is naturally central to the sustainability of future generations of animal species. Good practices in animal breeding are also pertinent to many parts of the dialogue on our agri-food chain and have positive impact on the social, economic and environmental issues of our time. The animal breeding sector is inextricably linked to areas such as animal health and welfare, and biodiversity and conservation to name a few. The sector has much to voice on the  future of agriculture and food.

My favourite European science area: The future of One Health, from concept to real tangible implementation.

What is my role at EFFAB:
As a Projects and Communications Officer I contribute to EFFAB’s mission, values, activities and collaborations working across communications, projects and policy.

My education background:
I have a bachelor’s degree in communications from Syracuse University, and I am currently pursuing a part-time masters degree in Agricultural Extension and Innovation at University College Dublin.

My favourite activity when I am not working:
When I am not working, I love socialising with friends, exploring new food spots and cafes in Brussels, and taking weekend or day trips to towns and villages across Belgium and neighbouring countries. On rainy days, I enjoy cozying up with a good book or having movie nights with friends.

My favourite European science area:
It changes! Aside from Agriculture, I’m currently interested in space science, specifically astrophysics.