Shalini Abeykoon
Project Title: Joint genetic and genomic evaluations for sheep methane emissions between Ireland and New Zealand
Biography: Shalini is a Walsh Scholar PhD student based at Teagasc Moorpark. Her work is at the intersection of animal genetics, statistics, and climate change mitigation. Her research uses simulation-based approaches to explore whether combining genetic and genomic data from both Ireland and New Zealand can lead to more accurate breeding values for methane emissions, without compromising productivity traits such as growth and feed efficiency.
Her work focuses on reducing methane emissions from sheep by improving how genetic information is incorporated into breeding programmes. Methane from livestock is a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in grass-based farming systems such as those in Ireland and New Zealand. By developing improved methane traits, testing across-country genetic predictions, and modelling long-term breeding impacts, this research supports evidence-based breeding strategies that help agriculture contribute to climate change solutions while remaining economically sustainable.
Shalini grew up in New Zealand and holds a Master of Applied Science (Statistics) from the University of Otago. As part of her Master’s degree, she undertook quantitative analyses of data from a humanitarian project focused on a community-based goat breeding programme, reflecting a strong interest in research with meaningful social and environmental impact.
Teagasc email: Shalini.Abeykoon@teagasc.ie
University email: shalini.abeykoon@mymtu.ie
Teagasc Research Programme: Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Programme
Research Location: Teagac Moorepark – Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre
University: Munster Technological University
Teagasc Supervisor: Dr Noirin McHugh
University Supervisor: Dr Craig Murphy, Professor Roy Sleator
Funder: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)