Doug is a Quantitative Genetics consultant and works with clients to help solve a wide range of genetic questions. This could be anything from building a genetic selection index, helping direct an elite or commercial breeding program, modelling specific investment or genetic scenarios, developing strategies around crossbreeding and inbreeding avoidance, or development of software, data pipelines and analysis tools.
Doug’s past experience has primarily been with dairy cattle, but he has also spent time working (personally and professionally) with beef cattle, sheep, horses, rabbits, as well as in human genetics.

Doug’s role allows him to be creative and use his knowledge and experience in genetics, agriculture systems and data analysis in order to solve the problems seen by elite and commercial breeders. Doug likes viewing each new issue or project as a puzzle. It takes the right information, collaborations, and understanding to fit the discoveries together to provide a scientifically sound and easily useable solution.

Doug’s professional accomplishments:
-Performed one of the first major scientific studies involving genomic inbreeding in animal agriculture
-Created selection indexes used in the marketing of over 10 million annual units of dairy cattle semen
-Devised nucleus herd strategy and developed mating allocation software for one of the largest global suppliers of elite dairy cattle genetics

Doug grew up in and have spent the majority of his life in Wisconsin. He has also resided in Iowa, Michigan, and Colorado before making his way to New Zealand. Doug loves to stay active and get out into nature, with the front range and mountains of Colorado being one of his favourite locations. Doug also enjoys participating in and watching various sports, mainly basketball, baseball, and football.