UWA School of Agriculture and Environment has appointed Dr Luoyang Ding as a Lecturer in Livestock Science, strengthening research in animal welfare, behaviour, and biological systems central to modern livestock production.

At the core of his work is understanding how genetics and gut microbiota shape livestock temperament, cognition, welfare, and productivity. Dr Ding’s research builds on UWA’s strengths in livestock production, reproductive biology, nutrition, and pasture systems. “It adds a mechanistic layer focused on behavioural biology and hostmicrobiome interactions, showing how temperament and stress responsiveness influence both productivity and welfare outcomes,” he explains.

While traditional livestock research prioritises growth, reproduction, and feed efficiency, Dr Ding shows that temperament is more than a behavioural observation. “Behavioural traits such as temperament are often treated as secondary or difficult-tomeasure variables,” he says. His findings demonstrate that these traits have genetic, microbial, and physiological foundations, affecting health, immune function, meat quality, and overall performance.

"My previous findings on genetic markers associated with sheep temperament open the possibility of incorporating behavioural resilience into selective breeding programs, alongside traits like growth rate and meat quality. On the microbiome side, my recent studies help to understand how gut microbial communities influence stress responses and tested the possibility to reduce stress responses by rumen microbe inoculation"

Dr Luoyang Ding

 

Dr Ding is also developing technological solutions to make welfare monitoring practical for farmers. “My work on daily activity and core body temperature aims to develop digital and intelligent protocol that automatically monitor behavioural indicators of welfare. This allows earlier intervention and more data-driven management decisions at the farm level,” he explains.

Looking ahead, Dr Ding wants to translate complex biology into actionable outcomes for livestock systems. “I aim to establish a research platform at UWA that integrates genetics, microbiomics, behaviour, and digital technologies to better understand and enhance livestock welfare and productivity,” he says. 

He is exploring how host genetics and gut microbiota shape temperament and stress resilience, whether heritable biomarkers can predict early-life welfare outcomes, how behaviours might be influenced through gut microbes, and whether AI and sensor technologies can provide scalable measures of stress and welfare in commercial systems.

Through this work, he hopes to create livestock systems that are both more productive and ethically managed. “Ultimately, I hope to deliver outcomes that allow welfare-related traits to be incorporated into breeding indices and farm management strategies, contributing to livestock systems that are not only more productive, but also more ethically and sustainably,” he concludes.