Adj. Prof. Ian Lean

BVSc, PhD, MACVSc, DVSc
Mob: 0408 280 802

Scibus founder and managing director, Professor Ian Lean, is a leading authority in the medicine, nutrition and management of dairy cattle. A graduate of the University of Sydney (1979), he spent six years as a large animal veterinarian in the Hunter Valley of NSW before undertaking his PhD at the University of California, USA.

He actively consults to dairy and beef farms across Australia. Between 1986 and 1996, Ian lectured in clinical nutrition and cattle medicine at the University of California and then the University of Sydney, where he remains an Adjunct Professor in Veterinary Clinical Studies. He has extensively published on the interactions of nutrition with production, reproduction and health and been a keynote speaker at numerous international conferences in the USA, Canada, UK, EU, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, presenting on those topics, meta-analysis and study design. His academic and industry achievements have received many notable awards including:

• The Gilruth Medal and Prize, the Australian Veterinary professions highest honour (One only awarded per year).
• in 2010 awarded the Australian Dairy Science Award (One only awarded per year for excellence in published works over the previous 10 years).
• American Feed Industry Award 2018 (One only awarded per year).
• Awarded DVSc from the University of Sydney in 2012 for excellence of published works. This is the equivalent of Doctor of Science and is the highest academic award in Australia and the UK
• Veterinary Board recognised specialist.

At various times throughout the 1990s, he served as the senior examiner in Cattle Medicine and Ruminant Nutrition for the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists, and as president of the Australian Association of Cattle Veterinarians and the Cattle Chapter of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists.

Ian is the author of than 200 scientific articles, many of which have been published in internationally-renowned journals, as well as the university text, Nutrition of Dairy Cattle. He has appeared as a keynote speaker at major conferences in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, Argentina and South Africa.

Other achievements:
• Leadership in applied cattle nutrition and ration formulation
• Leadership in meta-analytical methods in dairy and veterinary science (including invited reviews and talks for American Dairy Science)
• Leadership in advocacy for the dairy industry in antibiotic resistance and production methods.
• Strong engagement with the beef industry on nutrition, meat quality and production modifiers.
• Substantial extension efforts including numerous publications that are the cornerstone of advice on transition feeding and acidosis in Australia and elsewhere eg Veterinary Clinics of North America, numerous Dairy Australia and Meat and Livestock Australia publications
• Significant contributions to knowledge in transition cow nutrition, nutrition and reproduction and ruminal acidosis/ dysfunction.
• Since 1990, Ian has also been active in discussing the implications of increasing population on food availability and the roles of technology and activism in addressing these. He has a deep knowledge of factors influencing farm profit from a biological and economic perspective and has presented nationally and internationally on these.

He likes cows, people and most other species.

ResearchGate

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Dr Neil Moss

BVSc(Hons), DipVCS, PhD, Dip HRM (dairy)
Mob: 0412 558 532

Neil has over 25 years’ experience in the ruminant production industry and joined Scibus in 2001. He has been a partner and director of the company since 2006. After two years in mixed veterinary practice, Neil commenced an internship in cattle medicine and surgery at the University of Sydney in 1996, graduating that year with a Diploma in Veterinary Clinical Studies at the high distinction level. In 1997, he commenced a clinical residency and PhD program investigating the interaction of management, nutrition and reproductive performance in dairy cows.

He now consults to dairy and beef farms ranging in size from 80 to 3000 head in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia while providing supporting services to our team of consultants and clients in South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. His professional interests include farm business strategic planning, whole-herd reproductive management, preventive medicine, and development of integrated ruminant nutrition and agronomic strategies. In 2012, he completed a Diploma of Human Resource Management with Dairy Australia, incorporating his knowledge in this area with his whole farm advisory services. His extensive practical and industry experience has resulted in him being an invited speaker at numerous veterinary and industry conferences, farmer meetings and discussion groups as well as a consultant and adviser to a number of expert and technical committees. He has also developed skills in assessing dairy business interruption and development of strategic management plans when farming businesses are impacted by infrastructure projects or other causes of disruption. He has also provided expert witness services in land tax and other disputes.

In 2020 Neil was appointed as the Special Dairy Liaison Officer to help co-ordinate the immediate LLS and DPI response to the bushfire crisis in South East NSW – a role that saw him liaising with farmers, government, industry and private service providers to assist in optimising delivery of support services to affected dairy businesses.

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Kamilla Breinhild

BAgSc, MAgSc
Mob: 0447 267 064

Kamilla graduated with a Masters degree from Copenhagen University in 1999 and emigrated to Australia the following year. She has a solid background in dairy management and nutrition, having been herd manager in one of Australia’s highest-producing registered herds for six years. She also spent two years part-time with a veterinary group, specialising in reproduction and embryo transfer.

Kamilla has a particular interest in nutrition and conducted her own consultancy while based in Victoria. She joined Scibus in 2007 and is now based in south-east Queensland. Recent projects have included the evaluation of nutrition software for ration calculation.

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Natasha Lees

BVSc, DipVetClinStud, MANZCVS

Tash graduated with a degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Sydney in 1996. She has worked in mixed dairy practice in NSW, Victoria and the UK and has also been a cattle clinician, at the University of Sydney and the Royal Veterinary College, London. She has been awarded membership of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in dairy medicine and has also been lucky enough to work as a volunteer in both Thailand (milk quality and nutrition project) and Antarctica (seal project).

Tash was a lecturer at Charles Sturt University, 2006-2014, training veterinary students in all aspects of cattle medicine and production as well as undertaking dairy research. In more recent years Tash has become involved in improving farmer education and industry understanding of animal management through Dairy Australia’s dairy industry extension programs.

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