Short presentation

Short Scientific Biography

Professor Merete Fredholm is a leading expert in animal genetics, molecular genomics, and clinical genetics at the University of Copenhagen, where she has served as Professor of Animal Genetics since 1997. Her research focuses on uncovering the molecular foundations of disease mechanisms and production traits in livestock, with a strong emphasis on pigs as model organisms. She has long been at the forefront of developing and applying molecular biology and bioinformatics tools to advance genomic analyses in domestic animals.

Her contributions include major roles in international research consortia such as the International Swine Genome Consortium and the Farm Animal Genotype–Tissue Expression (FarmGTEx) Consortium, where she has helped build genomic resources and identify causal mutations and candidate genes associated with both disease and performance traits across multiple species. She has notably contributed to research enabling genotyping of pigs for susceptibility or resistance to E. coli F4, an important advancement for pig health and breeding.

Professor Fredholm’s work extends into animal–human translational genomics, focusing on trait genetics, host–pathogen interactions, and the creation of large-animal models for human diseases. Her publication record includes influential multi-author studies on pig genome evolution, selection signatures, QTL mapping, and comparative genomics, including some of the most cited papers in livestock genomics.

With more than 17,000 citations, an h-index of 58, and over 170 highly cited publications [scholar.google.com], she ranks among the top international scientists in animal genetics and molecular biology, reflecting her sustained impact on agricultural genomics, evolutionary biology, and biomedical model development.

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