PhD fellowship/scholarship - Novel treatment for mastitis in cattle – experimental and on-farm study of low-level laser technology

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Animal and Veterinary Sciences programme. The position is available from 01 May 2025 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.

Title:
Novel treatment for mastitis in cattle – experimental and on-farm study of low-level laser technology

Research area and project description:
Mastitis is a common condition in dairy cattle in Denmark and beyond and is both critical to cow welfare, as it causes discomfort and pain, and is economically damaging. Moreover, the standard treatment for non-coliform (Non-E. coli caused) mastitis is the use of intramammary and/or systemic antibiotics, making mastitis the most common indication for systemic antibiotic treatment in adult Danish cattle. This has both economic costs for the farmer but is also a threat to the goal of reducing the need for use of antibiotics in dairy production. This is critical given the risks inherent in large scale antibiotic use – of increased bacterial resistance, and the loss of these effective drugs form both veterinary and human clinical use.

Therefore, the introduction of effective methods to treat mastitis, independent of the use of antibiotics, would have a triple outcome: the improved animal welfare of the population, the improved economy of the Danish dairy farmers, and the substantial contribution to the goal of minimising the development of resistant bacteria, via the reduction in antibiotic use on farm.

The PhD will be testing the use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), also known as laser phototherapy, to be used in an experimental and on-farm setting to treat mastitis cases. The treatment is currently under commercial development. It will combine behavioural and physiological measurements form an in vivo study at AU Viborg, with on-farm study of the LLLT therapy against the current standard. Microbiological data collection and analysis are also avenues for the student to explore with supervision from a mentor team with expertise in epidemiology, microbiology, behaviour and physiology.

We offer a PhD that is broad in the techniques involved, novel in its technology and addresses two of the key priorities for veterinary medicine: animal welfare and microbial resistance.

Project description: For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants must have a relevant Master’s degree (120 ECTS) in Veterinary or Animal Science. Field experience with dairy production and a current valid driver’s license is a requirement and proficiency in Danish will be an advantage.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is AU Viborg, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

• Mogens Agerbo Krogh, [email protected] (main supervisor)
• Vivi M. Thorup, [email protected] (co-supervisor)
• Catherine Williams, [email protected] (co-supervisor)

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.

Application deadline is 15 March 2025 at 23:59 CET

Preferred starting date is 01 May 2025

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be taken into account.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.