The National Dairy Study Research Team

A study of this size and scope requires a collaborative team of professionals at many levels. Scroll below to see some of the many faces behind this landmark study.

Principal Investigators

Dr. David Kelton

University of Guelph

David Kelton holds the DVM, MSc and PhD degrees, all from the University of Guelph. He is a professor of veterinary epidemiology and the Dairy Farmers of Ontario Dairy Cattle Health Research Chair in the Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. He is a member of Scientific Committee of the Canadian Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality Research Network, the Canadian Representative to the International Dairy Federation Standing Committee on Animal Health and Welfare, Vice-President of the National Mastitis Council and a Director on the Board of the Evidence Based Veterinary Medical Association. He teaches dairy cattle health and management, as well as evidence-based veterinary medicine, in the undergraduate, graduate and professional curriculum and is a member of several local, provincial and national working groups dealing with dairy cattle health and animal disease surveillance. He has co-authored more than 175 manuscripts in refereed journals. His research interests include paratuberculosis (Johne’s Disease), bovine mastitis and bovine lameness, with a focus on their detection and control in dairy herds and their impacts on health, productivity and welfare.

Dr. Herman Barkema

University of Calgary

Dr. Herman Barkema completed his DVM degree at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, in 1988. He spent 2½ years as manager of a large dairy and beef herd in Costa Rica, then taught bovine herd health at Utrecht University and worked as an epidemiologist for the Dutch Animal Health Service while completing his PhD. In 2001, Dr. Barkema moved to the University of PEI. He subsequently moved to the University of Calgary, where he founded the Department of Production Animal Health of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He currently is Professor in Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases at UCVM, with a joint appointment in the Department of Community Health Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Barkema three years ago became an NSERC Industrial Research in Infectious Diseases of Dairy Cattle. He is also a Guest Professor at Ghent University (Belgium) and Foreign Expert at the China Agricultural University in Beijing. Dr. Barkema’s research program focuses on prevention and control of diseases in cattle herds. He has published more than 270 scientific manuscripts and book chapters, and has lectured all over the world. He currently leads the University of Calgary Biostatistics Centre, co-leads the Clinical Research Unit in the Cumming School of Medicine, and leads the Environment research theme in the Canadian Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality Research Network, the Technical Committee of the Canadian Johne’s Disease Initiative, and the Alberta Johne’s Disease Initiative.

Dr. greg keefe

University of P.E.I.

Greg Keefe completed his DVM degree at the University of Guelph in 1988. He went on to pursue a MSc at the University of Prince Edward Island, completing his degree in 1995. He then returned to the University of Guelph, completing an MBA in 2002. Dr. Keefe is now Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Prince Edward Island. His research interests include milk quality and mastitis, dairy production medicine, infectious disease epidemiology, and Johne's disease.

Dr. Jocelyn Dubuc

Université de Montreal

Jocelyn is a faculty member with a focus on bovine population medicine at the bovine ambulatory clinic of the Université de Montréal in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec. His work duties include clinical work of preventive medicine on commercial dairy farms, teaching to students, applied field research. His main interests in research are on reproduction management and on health management during the peripartum period.

Coordinator

dr. cathy bauman

University of Guelph

Dr. Bauman graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1993. She joined the Animal Hospital of Oakville in 1996 after working in mixed animal practice for a few years. Currently, she is back in school finishing her Masters of Public Health degree at the Ontario Veterinary College as she is very interested in infectious disease and outbreak epidemiology. Due to this commitment, Dr. Bauman is only able to work on a limited basis at the hospital. However, she always looks forward to her days at AHO as she loves the caring staff and the engaging atmosphere which makes it worth her drive. Home is a farm north of Guelph, where she lives with numerous cattle, horses, goats, dog “Brody”, too many cats, three children and a her husband.