Dr Emily Leishman on Mechanistic Modelling of Equines

Dr. Emily Leishman, Ph.D., is Mad Barn’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Centre for Nutrition Modelling at the University of Guelph, Canada. Learn more about her work in our research update.

In this seminar, Dr. Leishman discusses mathematical modelling and its ongoing research applications for equine nutrition. She explains what mathematical modelling is and how it can be used in animal science to improve our understanding of complex biological systems.

Dr. Leishman goes into further detail on mechanistic models and why this type of modelling is good for decision-making and performance optimization. Mechanistic models include the underlying biological relationships which allow them to integrate a higher level of complexity compared to other modelling approaches.

Dr. Leishman describes an ongoing research project with Mad Barn that aims to develop a mechanistic digestion and metabolism model for horses. This research project is a collaboration between many different institutions and areas of expertise.

The first step of this research project is to develop a mechanistic metabolism model for horses. Dr. Leishman explains how the model will be set up as well as other project deliverables and the significance of this research to the equine sector.