About Aarhus University
Aarhus University (AU) is a public Danish research university with international research covering the entire research spectrum. In 2015, AU has app. 44.500 students, 2.000 PhD students and a total of 11.550 employees. Research is carried out in 28 research departments, organised in four faculties: Arts, Health, Science and Technology, Business and Social Sciences.
Research in livestock production is primarily carried out at Department for Animal Science and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. The main focus areas are:
- genetics and genomics
- nutrition
- physiology
- cell biology
- reproductive biology
- immunology
- ethology
- disease prevention
- epidemiology
- production
- health management
A number of related research activities are carried out in the departments for Agroecology, Food Science, and Engineering and in departments within Economics and Social sciences.
Vision
An overall perspective of the research in livestock is to compose input factors (nutrition, management, production system) that are optimally adapted to the animals' biological needs. Equally, production efficiency and economy, reproduction, product quality, health, and behavior together with environmental and climate impact are taken into account.
Through mutual adaptation of animals and production methods the goal is to develop livestock production systems providing good animal welfare and food products of high quality and safety combined with limited use of medication.
Livestock health and welfare is also promoted by utilizing new technologies including biotechnology and selection markers in early diagnosis of selected production diseases.
Aarhus University in the Animal Task Force
Aarhus University is representing the Danish knowledge institutes in the ATF. Animal research at AU is conducted with focus on development of health, reproduction, welfare and quality-enhancing strategies, taking into account environmental, climate, efficiency and economy. The objective is to generate knowledge and solutions that relate to current and future demands for knowledge on efficient and sustainable livestock production in the EU.
AU is dedicated to contribute its knowledge to the expertise of the Animal Task Force.
More information
Mrs. Vivi Hunnicke Nielsen
Associate Professor/ International Coordinator,
Danish Centre for Food and Agriculture
Email:
vivih.nielsen@dca.au.dk
Website:
Aarhus University
Department for Animal Science
Centre for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Department of Agroecology
Department of Food Science
Department of Engineering
DCA - Danish Centre for Food and Agriculture