News release: New Director of Research joins Livestock Research Innovation Corporation

For immediate release

Guelph ON, 15 January 2025 – Stephanie Lam, Ph.D., has assumed the newly created role of Director of Research at Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC). Lam comes to LRIC from the University of Guelph, where she held a Research Associate position in the Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock and managed projects in the beef, dairy and sheep industries. 

As Director of Research at LRIC, she will be actively involved in the organization’s work to leverage national, provincial and international collaborations between academia, industry, and not-for-profit organizations to accelerate research and innovation for the Ontario livestock industry. She will also be involved in all aspects of LRIC’s research-focused operational activities as well as work closely with LRIC members and LRIC’s International Research Advisory Committee. 

“We are excited about adding someone with Stephanie’s research background and industry experience to the LRIC team as we continue our work to drive innovation in the Ontario livestock industry,” says LRIC CEO Kelly Somerville. “Bridging gaps between industry, farmers and academia is a critical part of our work, as is getting more of Ontario’s cutting-edge livestock research into practice on our farms and Stephanie will play a key role in helping build and expand the networks we need to be successful.” 

A 2023 Nuffield Canada Scholar and mentee of the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC)’s Beef Researcher Mentorship program, Lam also worked as a program officer with Genome Alberta in Calgary, and as a Post-Doctoral Researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe. 

She holds both an M.Sc. and a Ph.D. from the University of Guelph and is actively involved as proposal/manuscript/content reviewer with a variety of livestock industry organizations and publications, including Results Driven Agricultural Research (RDAR), BCRC’s Genetic Literacy Project, Meat Science Journal and Journal of Dairy Science.  

“I’m excited to meet new stakeholders and industry partners across the livestock industry, as well as other sectors that contribute directly to livestock innovation such as soil and crop sciences,” says Lam. “Each livestock sector is unique and faces its own set of challenges and opportunities and I look forward to helping each one find the networks, connections and innovations that will help them grow sustainably both now and into the future.”

Livestock Research Innovation Corporation was established in 2012 with support from Ontario’s beef, pork, dairy and poultry sector organizations and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. LRIC’s mission is driving innovation, and the organization takes a value chain approach to research and innovation by providing leadership in research priority setting, coordination and process; identifying and communicating emerging issues; and strengthening networks across the sector. LRIC is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a 5-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative. 

For more information: 
Kelly Somerville, LRIC CEO, 519-831-1719