Celebrating 25 Years: Andrea Klassen’s Journey with HyLife

Dec 11, 2023

In the veterinary care and animal welfare world, few individuals can boast the commitment and passion that Andrea Klassen has brought to her role as a Veterinary Assistant. Having started her journey with HyLife in 1998, Andrea recently reached a significant career milestone—25 years of service.

Her roots are deeply connected with agriculture. Growing up on a chicken farm, Andrea initially envisioned herself building and running her own barn. Wanting to get some hands-on experience, working with pigs before venturing on her own, she was hired by HyLife’s founders and jumped at the chance to learn more about the pork industry.

Over the years, Andrea’s role has evolved. Starting in the barn, she progressed to become a Farrowing Manager and eventually transitioned into the role of Veterinary Assistant. She has witnessed the Animal Care Team expand and evolve, reflecting HyLife’s growing commitment to the welfare of the pigs under its care.

Click here to see more...

Video: Porcine Gut Models in Nutrition Research - Dr. Li-Hsuan Chen

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Li-Hsuan Chen, postdoc researcher at Aarhus University, discusses how porcine intestinal cell lines and organoids can help study the impact of nutrition on gut health. He explains how in vivo piglet trials identify diet-driven shifts in microbiota and metabolites, while in vitro models allow researchers to test specific metabolites, barrier function, immune markers, and future organ-on-chip systems before moving back to animal studies. Listen now on all major platforms!

"In vitro models can reduce early animal use by helping researchers screen nutritional candidates before moving back to in vivo trials."

Meet the guest: Dr. Li-Hsuan Chen / li-hsuan-chen-9a95a7279 is a postdoc researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark. Research focuses on porcine gut health, host-microbe interactions, cell lines, and organoids, with PhD work at Aarhus University studying how dietary protein and amino acid levels shape gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, and intestinal epithelial responses. Learn more from Dr. Li-Hsuan Chen on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.