Keynote Speaker: Tim McAllister

Biography

Tim McAllister obtained his M.Sc. in Animal Biochemistry at the University of Alberta and his Ph. D. in rumen microbiology and nutrition from the University of Guelph in 1991. He obtained a NSERC postdoctoral fellowship with the University of Calgary where he continued to conduct studies on the relationships between microbial biofilm formation and grain and silage digestion in ruminants. After appointments in technical and biologist positions he was promoted to a Principal Research Scientist in 2005 where he is presently in charge of a diverse research team studying areas on the microbiology of silage, impact of inoculants and other additives on silage quality and the use of barley and corn silages in feedlot cattle diets. He has authored over 625 scientific papers and is a recipient of numerous awards including the Elanco Award for the Production of Safe and Affordable Food, American Feed Industry Research Award, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Public Service Award of Excellence for Scientific Contribution to Canada, the H. R. MacMillan Laureate in Agriculture and the Canadian Beef Industry Award for outstanding research and innovation. He was also a contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore. Dr. McAllister will give a lecture on using molecular techniques to develop additives and characterize the microbial ecology of silages.