# Christine F. Baes

Dr. Christine F. Baes is Professor and Acting Associate Dean of External Relations; Canada Research Chair in Livestock Genomics at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. She began her five-year term in the role in May 2023. She is also a professor and Canada Research Chair in Livestock Genomics at Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph.
Dr. Christine Baes is a prominent figure in animal science, particularly in the fields of quantitative genetics, genomics, and animal breeding. As a professor at the University of Guelph in the Department of Animal Biosciences, she holds the role of Canada Research Chair in Livestock Genomics, underscoring her expertise and leadership in applying genomics to improve livestock health, welfare, and productivity. Her research is highly regarded internationally, especially her work on dairy cattle genetics, where she focuses on advancing sustainable breeding programs and improving genetic traits related to animal welfare, health, and resilience.
Dr. Baes leads several impactful research projects, combining traditional animal breeding with cutting-edge genomic techniques. Her work has practical applications, helping the livestock industry achieve goals in areas such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing animal productivity, and improving overall animal health. Additionally, her work often involves collaboration with industry partners and government bodies, making her a vital link between research advancements and real-world applications in the livestock sector.
In addition to her research, Dr. Baes is a committed educator, mentoring students and guiding graduate-level research in quantitative genetics and animal breeding. Her work is instrumental in training the next generation of geneticists and breeders in sustainable and ethical approaches to livestock production.

## Early life and education

Christine F. Baes was born in Southwestern Ontario. Having grown up around cows on a dairy farm, she completed her Bachelors degree at the University of Guelph, she then finished her Masters of Science degree in Animal Welfare at the University Hohenheim. While continuing her educational journey she completed her PhD in Quantitative Genetics at the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology and the Christian Albrechts University zu Kiel in Germany.

## Career

Baes has been involved in livestock breeding projects including swine, dairy cattle, goats, turkey, beef cows, and horses. Her research covers applied animal breeding, quantitative genetics, and sequencing data.
She began teaching at the University of Hohenheim in 2009. She then gained a part-time lecturer position at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich in 2012. Moving back to Canada, Christine accepted the Semex Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) - Holstein Canada Professorship in Dairy Genomics in June 2015 at the University of Guelph.

## Awards and recognition

* 2015 Semex / Canadian Dairy Network / Holstein Canada Professorship in Dairy Genomics
* 2019 Canada Research Chair in Livestock Genomics awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
* 2021 Minister's Award of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
* 2024 June J. L. Lush Award the American Dairy Science Association® (ADSA®) in Animal Breeding