Our guest this week is Dr Sonja Dominik, a research scientist specialising in sustainability indicators at CSIRO in Armidale. 

Sonja's career began with an undergraduate degree in Germany, majoring in animal breeding and genetics. Her passion for genetics led her to undertake research work in Australia, where she developed a deep appreciation for the country, its people and its livestock. 

Sonja moved to Australia to complete her doctoral studies, looking at genotype x environment interaction in merino sheep in Western Australia. Sonja looked into how the stud environment differs from the commercial environment and whether the performance of rams shifts between these distinct husbandry systems. 

Sonja joined CSIRO 21 years ago and she has been a part of pioneering research projects. Notably, she worked on the genetics of methane emission in sheep, breech strike resistance, worm resistance and much, much more. 

In this episode, we discuss Sonja's PhD topic, the genotype x environment interaction, the impact of digital technology and the work she is currently involved  in. This includes establishing a "Lifetime Animal Wellbeing Index" to objectively demonstrate animal welfare in the industry, assisting in meeting both consumer demands, and also import requirements globally. 

Sonja Dominik has had a truly remarkable career so far and this podcast highlights the importance of research and technology in shaping the future of farming, a lot of which Sonja has been involved with!

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