The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) has bolstered its Independent Scientific Panel (SISP) by recruiting five industry experts to join the board, which provides objective scientific opinion to inform the innovation centre’s projects.
Dr Lydia Brown MBE, Dr Hans Bjelland, Dr Heather Moore, Dr Clive Talbot and Dr Hamish Rodger join the panel, bringing a range of expertise from industry and academia. The SISP is made up of nine members, who bring together extensive knowledge of aquaculture research from around the world.
SISP chair, Professor Julie Fitzpatrick, commented on the appointments.“We’re proud to build a network that has the potential to boost growth and development, helping the Scottish aquaculture industry to thrive. SAIC plays an important role in supporting innovation across the sector and our talented panel is well placed to support the collaborative projects aimed at tackling some of the industry’s main challenges,” she said.
Pharmacology specialist, Dr Lydia Brown, is heavily involved with drug development for aquatic species and, as part of her academic career, developed the EU’s first licensed viral vaccine for salmon.
Dr Hans Bjelland currently specialises in innovation within aquaculture operations and has a wide-ranging industry network with seafood producers, technology providers and research partners.
Dr Heather Moore is a senior scientific officer for the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, an organisation that carries out high technology R&D, statutory, analytical and diagnostic testing and consultancy work for government and commercial companies globally.
Dr Clive Talbot is an industry consultant who has previously worked with multi-national seafood producers such as Mowi and Dr Hamish Rodger is an aquatic animal veterinarian with more than 30 years’ experience researching gill disease, sea lice control and the effects of climate change.
