Caeli Richardson PhD

Caeli is a plant and animal geneticist specialising in livestock genetics, sustainability, and the application of advanced data and genomic tools to real-world agricultural challenges. Her interest in agriculture began through hands-on experience working on a dairy farm in Canada, and was shaped further by first-hand exposure to farming systems across multiple countries, giving her a global perspective on the constraints and opportunities facing modern agriculture.

By integrating lived on-farm experience with rigorous quantitative science, Dr. Richardson has built a career focused on translating complex genetic research into practical, farmer-relevant solutions. In recognition of her leadership in science communication and her ability to bridge research and industry, she was appointed Australian Young Dairy Scientist, a role recognising emerging leaders advancing innovation and knowledge exchange within the dairy sector.

Caeli currently works as a Plant and Animal Geneticist at AbacusBio Ltd, where she leads and contributes to projects developing genetic tools and strategies to improve productivity, resilience, and environmental sustainability across livestock systems. Her work places a particular emphasis on quantifying genetic improvement, evaluating mitigation potential, and informing industry and policy decision-making.

She has held competitive international appointments, including selection to the ICAR BWYPEX Programme, representing early-career experts contributing to global dialogue on livestock breeding and genetics, and appointment as Land Productivity Champion within the UKRI Agri-Food Net Zero Network, supporting interdisciplinary efforts to deliver climate-positive outcomes in agriculture.

Caeli holds an MSc in Animal Breeding and Genetics from the University of Guelph (Canada), where she developed economic values for feed efficiency traits in Canadian dairy cattle. She completed her PhD in Computational Biology at La Trobe University (Australia), focusing on the development and implementation of genetic strategies to reduce methane emissions in dairy cattle.

Focus within AbacusBio 

• Greenhouse gas modelling 
• Selection index development 
• Genetic parameter estimation 
• Breeding programme design 

Projects involved in 

• Australian Dairy Sustainability Index 
• Irish Dairy and Beef Greenhouse Gas Modelling 
• British Texel Sheep Breeding Objective 
• Bayer Plant Breeding