UCCE genetics specialist Alison Van Eenennaam a 'rising star'

UC Cooperative Extension specialist Alison Van Eenennaam, an animal geneticist based at UC Davis, was named a 'rising star' in the online magazine ozy.com. 

Van Eenennaam operates at the forefront of biotechnology in animal agriculture, wrote reporter Marissa Fessenden. The researcher is raising cows in Davis whose genes were edited to omit horns, which spares the animals the painful process of horn removal.

The article says Van Eenennaam grew up as a 'horse-mad' city girl in Melbourne, Australia. She studied animal science at the University of Melbourne, and later earned master's and doctorate degrees at UC Davis. Van Eenennaam is an outspoken advocate for new technologies and works to separate misinformation from fact.

"We have to speak up," she said. "We're the people who know how (genetic editing) could be useful and how incredibly valuable the tool is. I'm not going to let the fearmongers dominate the conversation."

Graduate student Lindsay Upperman (left) and UCCE specialist Alison Van Eenennaam with gene-edited hornless dairy calves. (Photo: Karin Higgins)

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