Dr Hefin Jones

Hefin has had an association with Aberystwyth University for some time. He achieved his qualifications from Aberystwyth, with BSc in Animal/Veterinary Science, MSc, and PhD in the manipulation of hind gut fermentation in large and small ruminants.

A background in mixed farming, has given him a long interest in animal health, welfare, and nutrition. His undergraduate dissertation focused on the effect of Total Dissolved Solids and nutrition had on the development and growth Japanese koi carp. During this period, he was able to gain funding through the WAC and Livery Guild to travel to Japan to continue his study. His masters looked at the potential use of chlorophyll-based markers in the diets of broiler and egg laying chickens to determine faecal contamination and prevent Campylobacter and Salmonella infection.

After studying as an undergraduate and Masters student, he worked for the university as a research assistant on the Sustainable Lamb Project and LUKKA trials, amongst others. The aim of the SLP project was to determine if a high prolificacy gene in a certain breed of sheep could be utilised to produce lambs from different pasture types to improve grazing grounds, capitalise on land deemed “non-productive” for farming and finish lambs on higher productive grounds rather than on lamb finisher. His involvement in the LUKKA trial was to assist with a project that produced a “home-grown protein source”, that was an alternative to Soya, in the meal of growing lambs.

After the successful completion of these projects, Hefin returned to study at Aberystwyth University as a PhD student under the tutelage of Prof. Jamie Newbold. His PhD topic area was the use of a coriander-based additive to assist with lowering methane emissions in ruminants. He was awarded funding from international partners such as Climate-KIC and South Pole Carbon, as well as IBERS. This enabled him to work on several in Vivo animal trials; focusing on nutrition; with molecular based analysis through to next generation sequencing, strongly featuring in the project. This also provided him occasion to carry out teaching, pertinent to his PhD, to undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

Post PHD, he has held roles as senior technician in molecular biology for the Future Foods Project, until moving to VetHub1 where he now works, in carrying out research in a variety of areas, inclusive of cryopreservation, heavy metal analysis, molecular and microbiological research, diagnostic techniques and help facilitating the running of the Vethub1 CL2/CL3 laboratories.