Photo of Professor George Oikonomou

Professor George Oikonomou DVM PhD FHEA FRCVS

Professor of Cattle Health and Welfare Livestock & One Health

About

Personal Statement

I studied Veterinary Medicine at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. During my PhD studies, I investigated the genetics of energy balance and fertility in Holstein cows. I spent a few years managing a 600 cow dairy herd in Greece before moving to the USA where I worked as a research associate at Cornell University and got involved in various research projects on dairy cattle lameness, mastitis, and reproductive diseases. I was a co-Project Director on a USDA-funded project studying the dynamics of the mammary microbiome and I am currently studying dairy cattle lameness using genomic and microbiomic approaches and funded by BBSRC, Innovate Uk, the Wellcome Trust, the Animal Welfare Foundation, and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
The overarching objective of my research is the improvement of the welfare of dairy cattle and of the sustainability of dairy farms.

Prizes or Honours

  • RCVS Fellowship (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 2023)

Other Personal Distinctions

  • Recognised Specialist in Cattle Health and Production (RCVS, 2016)
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor position (Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, 2014)