Provincial Industry Research Chairs

As a key initiative of the Island Prosperity Strategy, Premier Robert Ghiz appointed two Provincial Industry Research Chairs in a ceremony held in June 2009 to recognize research excellence on PEI. The purpose of the Industry Research Chairs is to encourage stronger partnerships between research institutions and the private sector to support the development of new products and services that show potential for commercialization.

UPEI researchers and industry leaders, Dr. Larry Hammell and Dr. Greg Keefe, were named to the five-year appointments.

Dr. Larry Hammell is the Director of the AVC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences and a professor of epidemiology at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College. He is an aquatic species health expert who leads the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, one of the world’s premier institutions for applied research on health management in aquatic food animals.

He was the principal investigator on a successful award of a $5.9 million grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation in 2008.

He has supervised or co-supervised several graduate students at AVC/UPEI with 4 currently in the Ph.D. program. He has been responsible for overseeing the work of more than 40 veterinary summer students who have worked in aquaculture health research projects since 1994.

Dr. Hammell is a member of the OIE Group (World Organization for Animal Health aquatic disease surveillance), a leader of the Disease Technical Working Group for Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue with the World Wildlife Fund and a member of the National Aquatic Animal Health Program Management Committee.

As Industry Research Chair, Dr. Hammell will further establish the OIE Collaborating Centre for Aquatic Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Health Management. In addition to improving health management in aquaculture, this work will guide policy decisions at all levels of the industry and help determine international standards for the industry.

Dr. Greg Keefe was also appointed a Provincial Industry Research chair for his work as a professor of dairy production medicine at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC). He is an internationally recognized leader in milk quality research and the application of new information and diagnostic technologies to advance disease surveillance and food quality.

Dr. Keefe is director of the Atlantic Veterinary College’s Maritime Quality Milk, a centre that has an integrated research and service capacity that is unparalleled within the Canadian dairy industry. The Research Chair position will focus on commercial opportunities developed out of the current and future Maritime Quality Milk Platform.

Dr. Keefe is known for his research excellence and successful collaborations on various research projects. He has published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and an additional 50 in peer-reviewed conference proceedings. He was the lead investigator and a major contributor on national research projects valued at approximately $2.5 million in the last five years.

Dr. Keefe was named to the Dairy Farmers of Canada Production Expert Scientific Advisory Committee in 2008. He is a former recipient of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Schering Plough Award for the advancement of large animal medicine and surgery. He is vice-president of the USDA-affiliated Mastitis Research Workers.

Dr. Keefe has a long history of working with dairy farmers in his capacity as an educator, researcher, and professional service provider. He is known by his clients to be a highly competent veterinarian dedicated to client communications, knowledge, and animal health. He has formed strong ties throughout the Atlantic Provinces and Canada.