Prof. Aaron Cowieson, Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney and Principal Scientist at DSM Animal Nutrition and Health has been awarded the 2016 Poultry Nutrition Research Award by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) in partnership with the Poultry Science Association (PSA). Presented at the annual PSA meeting in New Orleans on 14 July, the award recognizes Prof. Cowieson’s sustained contribution to poultry nutrition and an extensive portfolio of over 100 articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
Prof. Cowieson read for his PhD in Poultry Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen and Scottish Agricultural College, completing in 2001. Over the past 15 years Prof. Cowieson has held various research positions in international biotechnology businesses and in academia, most recently as Director of the Poultry Research Foundation within the Veterinary Science Faculty at the University of Sydney, Australia. Besides serving as Associate Editor for the International Journal Animal Production Science, Dr Cowieson sits on the British Poultry Council. The focus of Prof. Cowieson’s research is mono-gastric nutrition and in particular the effect of exogenous feed enzymes on animal health and nutrition.
On the award, Prof. Cowieson comments: ‘I am delighted to be the 2016 recipient of this prestigious research award. I have always maintained that there need be no tension between academic integrity and a research career in a commercial organization. This award demonstrates that scientific endeavor can be successful wherever you may be working provided that your employer affords you intellectual freedom, support to publish and to follow your natural curiosity. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with some exceptional scientists, many of whom I consider close personal friends, and peer recognition of this kind is something I do not take lightly.’
George Kau, Vice President Animal Nutrition & Health Innovation and R&D at DSM Nutritional Products, comments: ‘On behalf of the whole R&D team here at DSM, I would like to congratulate Aaron for the remarkable achievement. His expertise in feed enzymes brings tremendous value to our mission to drive future developments through scientific innovation and translate these into real benefits for our customers’.
The Poultry Nutrition Award is sponsored by AFIA as part of its continuing awards program that dates back to 1948. In 2015, the award was presented to Mingan Choct, Professor at the University of New England, Australia.