Applied Research
Dr. Brenda Ralston
RDAR Research Scientist, Livestock Health
Email:brenda.ralston@lakelandcollege.ca
Phone:403 660 7885
LinkedIn:
Connect with me
“If the research I’m involved in doesn’t train students and lead to a product or process that industry can adopt, I’m not doing my job."
Dr. Brenda Ralston is a RDAR livestock health research scientist with Lakeland College's agriculture technology & applied research department. Over her career, she has supported and conducted multi-disciplinary livestock research. Most notably is her work with livestock pharmaceuticals that address animal welfare issues related to management procedures.
Education:
- PhD in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia
- MSc in Veterinary Parasitology, University of Calgary
- BSc in Agriculture, University of Alberta
Areas of expertise:
- Livestock disease
- Livestock nutrition
- Livestock pharmaceutical
- Livestock welfare and wellness
Current projects
| Project name | Dates | Funders |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation and validation of field degradation of nature’s net wrap pilot study | 2023-2026 | Saskatchewan Cattle Association (SCA) |
| Assessment of large lidocaine impregnated elastrator band (LidoBand™ L) for castration of weaned calves | 2024-2026 |
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| Development of an insecticide eluting elastration band for the long-term prevention of myiasis | n/a |
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| Evaluation of rumen impact of a novel biological net wrap product for Canadian forage and livestock producers | 2024-2027 |
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| Enhancing cattle health and performance through targeted supplement evaluation | 2026-2028 |
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Completed projects
| Project name | Dates | Funders |
|---|---|---|
| Scratching the surface: Investigating the prevalence, nature and potential causes of itchy cattle | 2021-2024 |
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| Development of a neonatal supplement to improve health in livestock | 2021-2023 |
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| Adaptation and development of the anesthetic elastrator band for use in the Canadian lamb industry | 2022 |
RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research) |
- Read Dr. Ralston's publications on ResearchGate.
- Video - RDAR Alberta | 2025 Research Showcase
- News release - Lakeland livestock research scientist wins AFAC Award of Distinction