Novel Strategies to Select for Livability | Jenelle Dunkelberger, PhD

About the Guest Jenelle Dunkelberger has worked as a geneticist at Topigs Norsvin for the past eight years. She holds a PhD from Iowa State University, where the focus of her research was on the role of host genetics in response to viral disease in pigs. She continues to study this topic, along with other health-related issues, as Head of the Topigs Norsvin Global Health and Behavior Research Platform. Jenelle resides in Minnesota with her husband and young boys. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why improving pig livability through genetics is not as simple as it sounds and why what we measure matters more than what we assume. How collecting data from commercial herds helps reveal traits like resilience, robustness, and longevity that elite nucleus animals never get the chance to show. How genetic selection is being used today to reduce sow death loss tied to feet and leg issues, prolapse, and unknown sudden death. Why disease resilience can only be improved by measuring performance under real disease pressure, not ideal conditions. Jenelle’s Golden Nugget