Lakeland welcomes new director of applied research

Dr. François Paradis has taken the helm of Lakeland’s applied research department, bringing with him 20 years of experience in the agricultural and livestock sectors.

“It’s an honour to welcome Dr. Paradis to our award-winning applied research team,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Steward, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “Under his leadership, our research contributions to agricultural sustainability and profitability will continue to grow. I am excited to see the innovative ideas he brings with him and to see the evolution of our research team.”

Dr. Paradis holds a master of science in animal science from Laval University and a PhD from the University of Alberta with formal training in bovine and porcine reproductive physiology. He has also done a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Ottawa and worked with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supporting research in beef cattle.

Dr. Paradis has spent the last eight years as a senior administrator at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.

“I have a passion for agricultural research and innovation,” says Dr. Paradis. “I am very much looking forward to working with the applied research team at Lakeland College to develop science-based solutions for the agriculture industry.”

Dr. Paradis takes over as director of applied research from Josie Van Lent, who announced her retirement in January 2022 and Tanya McDonald, who served as interim director.

Dr. Haider Abbas has also joined the applied research team as a broadleaf research scientist. He holds a PhD in agriculture and did collaborative work in research centres in China and the United Kingdom. Dr. Abbas has worked in agriculture for over 20 years, the last decade of which were spent as part of the research and development team of Ag-Quest, Cargill and Dow AgroSciences/Corteva.

Current research projects underway at Lakeland include, among others:

• Maximizing feed barley yield while minimizing lodging
• Investigating the agronomics of lupin production, a new high protein pulse crop for Alberta
• Reducing beef production costs through swathgrazing complex forage mixtures during winter in Alberta
• Health impacts of feeding garlic products to growing cattle
• Development of a neonatal mineral and vitamin supplement to improve health in livestock
• Optimization of non-contact sensing technologies to enhance sustainability of bison farming
• Precision Ranching: Remote assessment of bull activity under range conditions to improve pregnancy rate
• Smart handheld device for automatic blood analysis: Innovative prediction of sheep pregnancy and litter size
• Automating replacement heifer selection – demonstration site

On Aug. 25, Lakeland’s research team will welcome industry members, producers and members of the public on campus for Livestock Field Day.