Lakeland livestock research scientist wins AFAC Award of Distinction

Dr. Brenda Ralston, a livestock research scientist at Lakeland College, is the recipient of Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) 2022 Award of Distinction.

The announcement was made Thursday, March 17 by AFAC.

The annual Award of Distinction recognizes one individual or group who has made exceptional contributions to the field of livestock welfare, through either leadership, innovation or communication.

“I am honoured and humbled to be the 2022 recipient of AFAC's Award of Distinction. AFAC continues to be a strong champion of animal welfare and wellness for food producing livestock as witnessed by their continued support of this award,” said Dr. Ralston.

The following information was shared by AFAC in a news release.

“Dr. Ralston’s dedication to Alberta’s livestock industry is inspiring,” said Nick Allan, president of Chinook Contract Research Inc. “Through her extensive and impressive research career, she has shown a personal and professional commitment to welfare and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives in the animal food production industry.”

Dr. Ralston began her 35-year career with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development as a district agriculturist, moving to the role of beef specialist in 1994. During this time, she received her B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Alberta, M.Sc. in Veterinary Parasitology from the University of Calgary and a Ph.D. in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. She is also a cattle producer and works with her family on their century farm, Twin Lakes Ranch.

Aside from her nomination from Lakeland College, AFAC received several other glowing recommendations from industry groups and fellow veterinarians. This is a testament to Dr. Ralston’s commitment to applied research and to her collaboration with private industry, producer groups, universities, government and most importantly the producers themselves.

“Dr. Ralston’s research results in products producers can use to improve animal care practices. We can’t think of a more worthy candidate,” said Annemarie Pedersen, AFAC executive director.

“It takes a team to make advancements in animal welfare and wellness, including livestock producers, industry organizations, industry partners and businesses, academia, governments, research funders and the students and employees of Lakeland College that have supported the animal research that has led to this award. I see livestock welfare and wellness continuing to play an ever increasingly important role in agriculture and I look forward to being a part of future discoveries in this area with all our collaborators,” Dr. Ralston said.

Over her career, Dr. Ralston has supported and conducted multi-disciplinary livestock research for the poultry, dairy, lamb, horse and pork industries in the areas of pain control and pathogen mitigation. Most notably, she has helped bring livestock pharmaceuticals that address animal welfare issues related to management procedures to market, including:

• The Care-Ring anesthetic elastrator band to reduce the pain of castration.
• Oral Meloxicam for the beef, dairy and equine industries.
• An anti-bloat agent used to reduce animal discomfort when grazing alfalfa and enhance gains.
• Practical solutions to address antimicrobial resistance at the farm level for targeted selection of antibiotic groups for better animal outcomes and enhanced antibiotic stewardship.

One of her colleagues and nominators said it best. “As a result of her contributions, the way we think of pain in cattle has changed and now pain mitigation is common practice on farms and ranches across the province and the country,” said Dr. Denis Nagel.

In 2018 and 2008, Lakeland College received AFAC's Award of Distinction for Industry Leadership.