Her main research interests concern extensive ruminant production systems, with a holistic approach integrating the relationships between genotype, phenotype, nutrition, management, pasture use and animal physiology (growth, reproduction, welfare), within a socio economic and environmental sustainability context.

Her scientific activity has been developed within 100 research projects and thematic networks (30 as coordinator), of regional, national, international, and private funding.  She has directed four PhD theses and several MSc theses. She has authored more than 65 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, and more than 100 technical papers and 250 communications in national and international scientific meetings.  She has also participated in a large number of extension courses and technical conferences, mainly related to livestock production systems in mountain areas, pasture management and organic farming.

Isabel is an active member of different Spanish scientific societies for the study of animal and pasture production, where she has undertaken research, development, and extension activities.  She is also engaged in transnational networks supported by FAO and CIHEAM (namely, on Mountain Pastures and Sheep and Goat Nutrition and Production Systems.)

Johann (Hans) Sölkner is a full professor of animal breeding and population genetics and head of Institute of Livestock Sciences. He is Head of institute of Livestock Sciences (NUWI), at BOKU.

His main interest is genetic improvement of livestock populations by applying statistic and bioinformatic techniques, finding ways of combining high tech (genomic) as well as low tech (simple breeding programs) solutions. In Austria, his expertise has been critical for establishing national breeding programs for cattle and pig populations and genomic prediction procedures for very many traits. In Africa and Latin America, together with local partners, he has had a key role in establishing the concept of community-based breeding programs (CBBP), aiming at increasing the productivity and profitability of indigenous breeds without undermining their resilience and genetic diversity, and without expensive interventions. This concept is very important for combatting hunger in economically disadvantaged societies. Hans considers the current times great, with so many things to be tested, learned and better understood.

He obtained his MSc degree from Wageningen University and a PhD degree from the University of Illinois in animal science in 1991. He joined INRA as a post-doctoral researcher in 1992. In 1994, he obtained a permanent position to work on the nutritional modeling of growth in pigs. He also developed an extensive research program of energy and amino acid nutrition. Jaap van Milgen published over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He is co-author of the InraPorc software, a tool for the evaluation of nutritional strategies in pigs. From 2012 until 2018, Jaap van Milgen was head of the Pegase research unit in Rennes. Pegase’s mission is to “identify the biological basis and conceive levers by which animal production will contribute efficiently and responsibly to a sustainable development”. Jaap van Milgen is coordinator of the Feed-a-Gene project (www.feeda-gene.eu). This 5-year project is funded by the Horizon 2020 program of the European Union and involves 23 partners in nine countries. The aim of Feed-a-Gene is to adapt the feed, the animal and the feeding techniques to improve the efficiency and sustainability of monogastric livestock production systems. Jaap has been the proud recipient of the 2021 Leroy Fellowship Award, which was awarded to him at the annual EAAP meeting in Davos. 

She is Associate Professor University of Guelph, Guelph, Canadar. Dr. Harlander's interest for the impact of husbandry on animal behaviour and physiology blossomed from her childhood, growing up in the Austrian Alps around farm animals. Naturally, her passion for animals and her interest in their health and welfare led her to study veterinary medicine. Presently, Dr. Harlander studies the welfare of domestic birds, the most numerous farmed animal worldwide. For her innovative research, she was awarded the Burnbrae Farms Professorship in Poultry Welfare.

 Harlander’s research uses bird health and what birds want (e.g. preference tests, including demand analysis) to apply to current poultry husbandry practices to enhance bird well-being and health.  Dr. Harlander’s research tries also to find out why laying hens perform feather pecking - an important unsolved problem in both organic and commercial laying hens with a prevalence of 60-80%, the physiological mechanisms underlying this oral-repetitive behaviour and why it becomes so excessive. Results of these studies should open new strategies for the prevention and treatment of feather pecking in laying hens and contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying oral-abnormal repetitive behaviour in other species kept in captivity.

He's activities:

• Vice-president of horse commission in EAAP, Country representative of EAAP, EAAP council member (representing CRO, CZE, AUT, SVK and SVN) 

• Leading the National Breeding Evaluation Centre and representative for international cooperation with Interbull centre.

• Leading the Education and Research centre for horse breeding Krumperk.

• Member of the Education Working Group on EAAP within Horse production commission

• Member of the Expert Council of Breeding Organisations for Lipizzan horse and Brown breed cattle.

• Head Specialist of the Breeding Organisations for Slovenian trotters.

• Head of the subject horse breeding in Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana

dr Klemen Potočnik vanredni profesor, Univerzitet u Ljubljani – Biotehnički fakultet, Odsek za stočarstvo.