Tiago Valente, PhD

Tiago is a livestock genetics consultant at AbacusBio with expertise in animal breeding, quantitative genetics, genomics, and bioeconomic analysis. He works with producer organizations, breed associations, and livestock companies to develop breeding strategies that improve profitability, productivity, animal health, and sustainability across beef and dairy systems.

Originally from Brazil and now based in Canada, Tiago has over a decade of experience spanning academia, industry research, and commercial consulting. His work combines quantitative genetics, economic modelling, and data analytics to translate complex biological data into practical decision-making tools for livestock industries.

A particular area of interest is the development of breeding objectives and economic selection indexes, helping organizations identify and prioritize traits that create long-term value for producers. He has also worked extensively on genetic evaluations, genomic prediction, animal health traits, fertility, feed efficiency, longevity, animal welfare, and emerging sustainability traits including methane emissions and disease resistance.

In addition to his consulting work, Tiago has taught animal genetics at the University of Alberta, helping future animal scientists understand how genetic principles are translated into practical breeding decisions. He is passionate about making quantitative genetics accessible and relevant, connecting concepts such as selection, breeding strategies, and genetic improvement to real-world challenges faced by livestock producers and breeding organizations. Through both teaching and consulting, he enjoys bridging the gap between scientific theory and industry application, helping people use data-driven approaches to make better decisions for animals, producers, and the broader livestock sector.

He is particularly motivated by projects that bring together science, industry, and producers to solve practical challenges and deliver measurable improvements across the livestock value chain. His passion lies in helping livestock industries use genetics, economics, and data to make better decisions that create lasting value for producers while supporting more sustainable and resilient food production systems.