Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam is a Professor of Cooperative Extension  in the field of Animal Genomics and Biotechnology in the Department of Animal Science at University of California, Davis. She received a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and both an MS in Animal Science, and a PhD in Genetics from UC Davis. The mission of her extension program is “to provide research and education on the use of animal genomics and biotechnology in livestock production systems”.

She has given over 750 invited presentations to audiences globally, and has appeared on national media including the Dr. Oz Show, Animal Planet, and the December 2014 Intelligence Squared Debate on genetically modifying food. She has served on several national committees including the USDA National Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture, (2005-2009), and was a temporary voting member of the 2010 FDA Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee meeting on the AquAdvantage salmon, the first genetically engineered animal to be evaluated for entry into the food supply. A passionate advocate of science, Dr. Van Eenennaam is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and was the recipient of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) 2010 National Award for Excellence in Extension, American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) 2014 National Extension Award, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) 2014 Borlaug Communication Award, University of California – Davis 2019 James H. Meyer Distinguished Career Achievement Award, and ASAS 2019 Rockefeller Prentice Award in Animal Breeding and Genetics. Follow her on twitter at @BioBeef.