Prof Michael Stear

Professor of Animal Biology
Animal, Plant and Soil Sciencs
AgriBio, La Trobe University

M.Stear@latrobe.edu.au

Research Activities

The aim of our research is to understand the mechanisms underlying variation among livestock in resistance to infection and to use this understanding to develop better methods of controlling disease and the effects of subclinical infection. We are particularly interested in genetic variation in immune responses to parasites of cattle, sheep and fish. Our research includes epidemiology, genetics, immunology, pathology, host-parasite coevolution and mathematical modelling. We are focussing on the major endemic diseases such as nematode infection in sheep, sea lice in salmon, footrot in sheep and fluke in cattle.