Dr. Brenda Ralston is a RDAR livestock health research scientist with Lakeland College's
agriculture technology & applied research department. Over her career, she has supported
and conducted multi-disciplinary livestock research. Most notably is her work with
livestock pharmaceuticals that address animal welfare issues related to management
procedures.
Education:
- PhD in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia
- MSc in Veterinary Parasitology, University of Calgary
- BSc in Agriculture, University of Alberta
Areas of expertise:
- Livestock disease
- Livestock nutrition
- Livestock pharmaceutical
- Livestock welfare and wellness
Current projects
Project: Assessment of large lidocaine impregnated elastrator band (LidoBand™ L) for castration
of weaned calves
Dates: 2024-2026
Funders: RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research), Solvet
Project: Development of an insecticide eluting elastration band for the long-term prevention
of myiasis
Dates: n/a
Funders: RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research), Alberta Lamb Producers, Solvet
Project: Evaluation of rumen impact of a novel biological net wrap product for Canadian forage
and livestock producers
Dates: 2024-2027
Funders: RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research), Alberta Beef Producers
Project: Evaluation and validation of field degradation of nature’s net wrap pilot study
Dates: 2023-2026
Funder: Saskatchewan Cattle Association (SCA)
Project: Enhancing cattle health and performance through targeted supplement evaluation
Dates: 2026-2028
Funders: Mitacs, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), AVL
Completed projects
Project: Scratching the surface: Investigating the prevalence, nature and potential causes
of itchy cattle
Dates: 2021-2024
Funders: Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), Alberta Beef Producers
Project: Development of a neonatal supplement to improve health in livestock
Dates: 2021-2023
Funders: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), AVL
Project: Adaptation and development of the anesthetic elastrator band for use in the Canadian
lamb industry
Dates: 2022
Funder: Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR)
