Work packages leading:
WP10: Host determinants of lumpy skin disease (LSD) resistance and susceptibility

Professor Dirk Jan de Koning

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Professor in Animal Breeding

Tel: +4618672039
Email:
Web: slu.se/en/cv/dirk-jan-de-koning/

DEFEND role: WP10 leader, expert in animal breeding and genome analysis

Professor de Koning is an international expert in quantitative genetics and animal breeding. His research focuses on the application of genomics to livestock species to unravel the genetic basis of complex traits and to facilitate molecular breeding to accelerate genetic progress.

He has applied his expertise to a wide range of species and traits including mastitis in dairy cattle, pasteurellosis in sea bream, boar taint in pigs, bone strength in laying hens and fertility in sheep. He has performed genome-wide association study (GWAS) in several species and has published both on the design and analysis of these kinds of studies.

Professor de Koning has (co-)authored more than hundred peer reviewed publication that have amassed more than 5000 citations in Google Scholar. In terms of management he has been work package and task leader in three former EC projects and is currently joint Head of Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics at SLU, together with professor Lotta Rydhmer. In the latter role he is responsible for 55 salaried employees and a total of > 70 department members.

Professor de Koning has a strong international research network with documented collaborations with The Roslin Institute (UK), The Earlham Institute (UK), Wageningen University (NL), Aarhus University (DK), INRA (France), Worldfish (Malaysia), University of Dar Es Salam (Tanzania), LUKE (Finland), Uppsala University (Swe), Lund University (Swe) and ILRI (Kenya).

He is a member of the Research Oversight Committee for two Genome Canada projects: one on pigs and one on dairy cattle.