Chair of Animal Breeding and Biotechnology

I am a faculty member at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. My teaching areas include general animal husbandry, cattle breeding, and fundamentals of agriculture. My research has focused on dairy cow fertility, somatic cell counts in milk, milking speed, and biosecurity practices on beef cattle farms. I am a co-author of several scientific publications and have participated in national research projects focused on sustainable breeding strategies and animal health. I am a member and secretary of the Academic Agricultural Society.

Dr. Alo Tänavots is a Senior Lecturer at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, teaching pig breeding, production, and biostatistics at bachelor, master, and veterinary medicine levels (in Estonian and English). He actively supervises graduate theses and has contributed to the development of e-learning, receiving recognition for innovation in 2009. His research focuses on meat quality, beef production, dairy cow and smart technologies, with an emphasis on practical applications and collaboration with industry. Alo is co-inventor of a patented device and has participated in several national and international research projects. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Agraarteadus, a peer-reviewed journal indexed in Scopus, until 2022, and remains a board member of the Estonian Academic Agricultural Society.

I am Tõnu Põlluäär, a doctoral student of the Estonian University of Life Sciences. My doctoral thesis is: "Production and functional traits in Estonian dairy breeds – comparison and analysis.

I have dedicated my 38 years as a worker to animal husbandry, especially breeding. For many years, I was the head of the herd book and breeding department of the Estonian Animal Breeders' Association. I work as a project manager for cattle breeding at AS Dimedium. In all of the above-mentioned institutions, my main focus has been on breeding the Estonian Holstein and Red breed, especially to be more productive and healthy. 

Andres Valdmann DVM, MSc, DVSc is the head of the doctoral study programme "Veterinary Medicine and Food Science" and the chairman of the curriculum committee, the chairman of the doctoral thesis defense committee of the doctoral study programme "Veterinary Medicine and Food Science", a member of the doctoral student attestation committee of the doctoral study programme "Veterinary Medicine and Food Science", a member of the curriculum committee of the study programme "Veterinary Medicine" and a member of the thesis defense committee, and a responsible lecturer of the subject "Endocrinology". In addition, he teaches the subjects "Animal Physiology I", "Insemination and Reproduction I", "Reproduction". Andres is a visiting professor at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) and a member of the LBTU Veterinary Medicine Faculty Council of Professors. At LBTU, he teaches the subject "Animal Reproduction". He is a trainer of the continuing education courses "Dairy Herd Fertility - Scientific Principles and Innovative Technologies" and "Artificial Insemination of Cattle I". He is the leader of the research project “Adaptation markers that modulate the transmissible effects of the transitional period of dairy cows on uterine health and fertility”. Andres is a member of the Academic Committee of the Senate of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, a member of the Scientific Committee of the Council of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, a member of the Scientific Council of the Medical and Health Sciences and Veterinary Branch of the Estonian Doctoral School, a member of the European Society for Domestic Animal Reproduction and the Estonian representative in this organization.

Elina Tsopp is a junior researcher at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, specializing in reproductive biotechnologies with a focus on the in vitro production of bovine and equine embryos. Her work encompasses advanced techniques such as equine cloning, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), bovine in vitro fertilization (IVF), and metabolomics analysis to enhance embryo implantation success. Tsopp's research also addresses practical applications like preserving endangered horse breeds through cloning and exploring epididymal sperm extraction and freezing methods.

Merle Valdmann DVM, MSc, PhD teaches the subject "Endocrinology" and is the principal investigator of the research project "Adaptation markers that modulate the transmissible effects of the transitional period of dairy cows on uterine health and fertility". Member of the Estonian Chamber of Veterinarians.

Eva Tvrdá PhD is a Professor and the Head of the Chair of Animal Breeding and Biotechnology of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, focusing on veterinary and animal reproductive biology. Her scientific work explores semen quality, cryopreservation, oxidative stress, and advanced OMICS approaches across multiple farm animal species, with applications in fertility assessment and reproductive biotechnology. She is also actively involved in international collaborations and curriculum development, and leads the course of Microbiology and Immunology for animal science students. She is the member of the European Society for Domestic Animal Reproduction and the Association for Applied Animal Andrology.

Research focuses on veterinary reproductive biology, spermatology, embryology, and reproductive biotechnologies. Current projects address paternal factors in bovine embryo production and precision solutions in cattle breeding, linking fundamental insights into male fertility with applied innovations in livestock reproduction management. Teaching within the course Artificial insemination and reproduction I covering topics such as reproductive physiology, semen collection, quality evaluation, production and handling of insemination doses.