Dr Linky Makgahlela

is currently employed as a research team manager for animal breeding and genetics at ARC-Animal Production Campus. She graduated her BSc (Agric) and MSc (Agric) from the University of Limpopo. She holds a PhD in Animal Breeding and Genetics from the University of Helsinki in Finland. Prof Makgahlela is rated by the National Research Foundation Y2 sub-category.

Her current research aims to establish a research programme in livestock genomics with the view of implementing genomic selection in the National Livestock Improvement programmes. This includes examining issues associated with running an efficient processing pipeline from on-farm sampling, imputation as cost-effective genotyping strategies to genomic evaluation in South African livestock.

Makgahlela is also investigating harmful and recessive genes impairing fertility in beef cattle, genes associated with adaptation and disease resistance in livestock. She supervises several post-graduate students participating in these projects as part of developing genomics research capacity. In future, she aims to develop bioinformatics pipelines for inclusion of sequence data in livestock genetic improvement.

Makgahlela provides advisory services to the beef and dairy industry, where she is the convener of the Dairy Genomic Programme, Research Committee, panel member in the National Research Foundation applications moderation process, and serves as a reviewer of manuscripts for local and international journals. She is the current convener of the public relations committee of the South African Society of Animal Science. Agricultural Research Council

1134 Park Street, Hatfield Pretoria|PO Box 8783, Pretoria, 0001 Tel: +27 (0)12 427 9700|Fax: +27 (0)12 430 5814 Website: www.arc.agric.za Email: enquiry@arc.agric.za