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Dr Caroline Rymer

Dr Caroline Rymer
  • Co-Head of Department of Animal Sciences (with Dr Kirsty Kliem)
  • Programme Co-Director (with Dr Rachael Neal) for BSc Animal Science and BSc Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Deputy Director of Academic Tutoring (School of Agriculture, Policy and Development)
  • Teaching and research in animal science 
  • Module convenor and contributor, teaching topics including animal science in practice, animal nutrition, animal production and product quality
 

Areas of interest

My research interest is in the characterisation of feeds, and in understanding the interaction between the composition of the diet and the animal's response in terms of health, performance and environmental impact. Key research areas in which I am currently engaged include:

  • Using microbiomic and metabolomic approaches to understand the impact of nutritional and environmental interventions on antimicrobial resistance in animal production. This research seeks to explain the mechanisms involved (in terms of changes in gut microbiome composition and host metabolic responses) that bring about changes to the health and performance livestock when different interventions are applied. The effect of diet and management on the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the chicken gut is also being investigated.
  • Increasing the efficiency of utilisation of feeds, particularly co-products from food and biofuel production. Work in this area is in the characterisation of feeds derived from these processes, to determine the role they may have in feeding livestock in a more sustainable manner. Recent examples of this work include the development of prediction methods for the estimation of the energy value of maize silage, and identifying the nutritive value of residues from bioethanol production.

Postgraduate supervision

I have supervised numerous PhD students to completion. Current and recent projects include:

  • Use of solid-state fermentation to increase nutritive value of sunflower meal for broilers.
  • Understanding the effect of environment and season on the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Bangladeshi dairy systems.
  • Evaluating the sustainability of Ugandan pig production systems.
  • Factors affecting prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in broiler chickens.
  • Farmers’ attitudes to antimicrobial use and resistance in Fiji.

Teaching

In addition to convening and teaching several modules, I have a particular interest in developing undergraduate research skills in the laboratory and in animal-based settings, by embedding research opportunities into the curriculum, thereby increasing student independence throughout their degree.

I also have extensive experience and interest in student support and academic progression, and I am a Mental Health First Aider.

Esteem Factors

  • Member of the Accreditation and Governance Committee of the British Society of Animal Science
  • External Examiner (undergraduate and postgraduate)
  • Editor of Quality of Animal Products section of Animal journal
  • Member of Editorial Board of Animal Feed Science and Technology journal

Research centres and groups

  • Department of Animal Sciences
  • Centre for Dairy Research
  • Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health

Academic qualifications

BSc

PhD

Professional bodies/affiliations

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology

Publications

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