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Page 4 %u2013 National Poultry Newspaper, February 2025 www.poultrynews.com.auDr Reza Barekatain is the newly appointed director of the Poultry Research Foundation.PETSPOULTRY PIGS AQUATICWAREHOUSE DIRECTHIGH PROTEIN FISHMEAL USED FOR: HIGH PROTEIN FISHMEAL USED FOR:CONTACT DARYL FIELKE - 0428 839 129 daryl@wildseasfishmeal.comPOULTRY PLUSIMPROVE DISEASE RESISTANCEEXCELLENT PROTEIN SOURCEHIGH LEVELS OF AMINO ACIDSTO PROMOTE GROWTH AND HEALTHWENDY Muir, one of the longest serving academic staff members at the Poultry Research Foundation, has won the highly competitive 2024 Faculty of Science learning and teaching award for student experience excellence. This is an award for staff who have excelled in driving a transformational experience for PRF students. Dr Wendy Muir coordinates and delivers highly valued learning experiences throughout her teaching of animal health and disease, the culminative third year unit in the animal health, disease and welfare major in BSc/BAS (animal and veterinary bioscience) at the University of Sydney.The unit focuses on the application of on-farm management practices to secure the health and wellbeing of production animals including sheep, cattle and poultry. Wendy is a highly dedicated and passionate educator who provides students key learning opportunities to develop skills in animal handling and health-based management, as well as interaction with industry to gain real-world experience.Wendy%u2019s curriculum design has facilitated outstanding student experiences in developing student skills in animal health and student engagement with the animal health industry. This ensures that the students are careerready when they graduate. Student feedback on their experiences include the below.%u201cWendy is a great communicator and coordinator and her passion for student education really shone through.%u201d %u201cThe practicals were amazing %u2013 thank you for using them to catch us up on the skills we missed in the past years, while also teaching us new skills.%u201d%u201cThe hands-on experience was without a doubt one of our most useful experiences at uni.%u201d%u201cThey changed our perspective, from being imposters to deserving to be in this course.%u201d %u201cWere the first hands-on things I%u2019ve got to do that relate to what I want to do postgraduation, providing lots of skills for my future career plan.%u201dAnd %u201cThe industry visits were especially eye-opening and very informative %u2013 not only were we able to see the work done at the labs but participating in a lab investigation made the visit very engaging.%u201dWe are extremely proud to have educators such as Wendy at our university. Mingan ChoctPoultry Research FoundationWendy Muir wins prestigious teaching awardTHE University of Syd- ney has appointed Dr Reza Barekatain as an Associate Professor and the next director of the Poultry Research Foun- dation following an in- ternational search.Dr Barekatain completed his bachelor and masters degrees in animal science in Iran before moving to Australia in 2009 to pursue a PhD in poultry nutrition at the University of New England. After earning his PhD, he spent a year at UNE as a postdoctoral fellow, working on two Poultry CRC-supported projects focused on early nutrition and ingredient evaluation in broiler chickens. In 2013, Reza joined the South Australian Research and Development Institute at the Roseworthy Campus of the University of Adelaide. There, he successfully led several nationally and internationally supported projects on poultry nutrition and intestinal health. In the past two years as a senior scientist, he has been the leader of SARDI Pigs and Poultry Group, managing a team of research scientists and technical staff with diverse backgrounds and expertise in monogastric animal research.Reflecting on his research experience, Dr Barekatain said, %u201cAs I progressed through my career, I developed a strong passion for intestinal health and digestive physiology, particularly focusing on intestinal barrier function and its interaction with nutritional factors in poultry.%u201d%u201cMy lab was among the first to study intestinal permeability in the context of reduced protein diets and synthetic amino acids in broiler chickens, as part of a project supported by AgriFutures Australia. %u201cThis research attracted industry attention and led to several subsequent collaborative projects investigating intestinal barrier function in chickens to improve resilience to stress and enteric disease. %u201cThis field remains a primary area of focus for me moving forward,%u201d he said.PRF is a unique research platform in Australia, where academia and industry collaborate to facilitate cutting-edge research that supports sustainable and profitable egg and meat production. Earlier in 2024, the University of Sydney began transitioning PRF into a research centre within the university, aligning it with the aspirations outlined in the Sydney 2032 strategy, which emphasises research excellence and addressing the greatest challenges of our time. Dr Barekatain%u2019s expertise and leadership in research within an Australian context make him an ideal addition to the PRF%u2019s unique capabilities in poultry research.Reflecting on his appointment, Dr Barekatain said, %u201cI am truly honoured to be appointed as the director of PRF, a position that has been held by some of the most prominent poultry scientists since its inception in 1958.%u201d%u201cI am particularly excited about the opportunities to expand scientific capabilities and collaborate with my outstanding colleagues at PRF, as well as with the poultry industry and other institutes in Australia and abroad to tackle the most pressing issues facing the industry.%u201dDr Barekatain will commence his role at the University of Sydney on March 3, 2025. Mingan ChoctPoultry Research FoundationDr Reza Barekatain appointed director of PRF