Schaumann Foundation awards € 20,000 for young scientists
Prof. Dr. Cord Drögemüller (University of Bern) and Prof. Dr. Qendrim Zebeli (University of Vienna) were awarded the H. Wilhelm Schaumann Foundation prize. The Foundation distinguishes young scientists on a biannual basis. Thanks to outstanding research results in animal science, each received a prize of € 10,000 this year.
The award ceremony took place on the occasion of the annual conference of the German Society for Animal Science (GfT) and the German Society for Animal Production (DGfZ) last month in Freising-Weihenstephan.
By the awarding these prizes, the jury recognises research being performed into the future challenges in animal science.
Explanation of the molecular causes of hereditary defects
The focus of Prof. Dr. Cord Drögemüller’s research is the molecular genetic causal investigation of hereditary diseases and other hereditary characteristics in pets and livestock.
By explaining the molecular causes of hereditary defects, and through the development of suitable genetic diagnostic methods, the prize winner has made an internationally significant contribution to the sustainable improvement of animal health for various breeds of pets and livestock.
Prof. Drögemüller’s research is characterised by worldwide interdisciplinary collaboration with other scientific fields and animal breeding associations for different animal species and breeds.
He succeeded in combining the latest genome analytical methods with the requirements of animal breeding practice. Thus, the veterinarian was able to develop innovative methodical approaches to improve the diagnosis of hereditary defects in different animal species.
New impulses for rumen physiology
The field of research of Prof. Dr. Qendrim Zebeli, ruminant nutrition, is of the utmost topicality and relevance for agricultural practice regarding the diet and health of dairy cattle.
In collaboration with research partners, Prof. Zebeli combined trendsetting methods from the disciplines of animal nutrition, immunology and biotechnology, and thus sparked a new impulse to research in the field of rumen physiology.
With his scientific results, Prof. Zebeli found new ways to improve the assessment of the structural effects of feed rations in dairy cows, and therefore provides important insights into the problems with animal health faced by modern dairy farming.
Qendrim Zebeli earned his post-doctorate degree at the University of Hohenheim with his thesis "Feeding strategies to prevent disturbances in rumen ecosystem, metabolism, and innate immunity in high-producing dairy cows".
Since 2010, Qendrim Zebeli has been a university professor for animal nutrition at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.
Related website: Schaumann Foundation
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