Photo courtesy of Livestock Research Innovation Corporation: From left, Kelly Somerville of Livestock Research Innovation Corporation, Katie Giddy from Grand River Agricultural Society, winners Kelsey Spence and Sam Workenhe, and Dr. Jeff Wichtel of Ontario Veterinary College.
The 2025 Early Career Research Award was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium.
Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded $60,000 to further his research into discovering and developing antiviral treatments for highly pathogenic livestock and poultry viruses.
The $100,000 annual award is funded by LRIC, the Grand River Agricultural Society, the Western Fair Association, the Ontario Agricultural College, and the Ontario Veterinary College to encourage cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary approaches to livestock research. It is open specifically to University of Guelph faculty members who have participated in LRIC’s mentorship program for early career researchers.
“This award was developed to meet a specific need in the livestock research community to offer support for early career researchers who are working on innovative, cross-sectoral or cross-disciplinary research projects,” stated Dr. Jeff Wichtel, Dean of the Ontario Veterinary College, who presented the awards. “We are proud to support Dr. Spence and Dr. Workenhe with this award this year and appreciate the innovative approaches and unique projects of all the researchers who submitted applications this year. It speaks volumes to the depth of skill and expertise among Guelph’s early career faculty.”
Dr. Spence’s research is focused on identifying motivators and barriers to the uptake of biosecurity measures on sheep and goat farms. The award funding will support testing of an educational biosecurity tool called Glo Germ through trainee stipends, educational materials, and more. Glo Germ is a fluorescent, environmental tagging tool that Spence is analyzing for its capacity to identify gaps or efficiencies in routine cleaning and containing disease spread between “clean” and “dirty” barn areas.
Dr. Workenhe is continuing his research using genomic tools to study how avian influenza interacts with its hosts, causing recurring outbreaks in poultry and other livestock species. This information is critical to being able to develop effective treatments against infection, reduce economic losses, and prevent potential human health impacts. He previously received an Early Career Research Award for this work in 2022 and 2024.
In addition to Dr. Workenhe, previous award winners include Dr. Jennifer Ellis from the Department of Animal Bioscience; Dr. Nicole Ricker and Dr. Emma Borkowski from the Department of Pathobiology; and Dr. Ataharul Chowdhury of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development.
The Livestock Research Innovation Corporation was established in 2012 with support from Ontario’s beef, pork, dairy, and poultry sector organizations and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. With a mission to drive innovation, LRIC takes a value chain approach to research and innovation by providing leadership in research priority setting, coordination, and process; identifying and communicating emerging issues; and strengthening networks across the sector.
LRIC is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. It’s a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 percent federally and 40 percent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.