Course Description

This intensive short course is designed for advanced graduate students (PhD and MSc) and professionals in animal husbandry and veterinary sciences, including specialties such as genetics and breeding, nutrition, physiology, management, and reproduction—whether in academia or industry. It is particularly relevant for those interested in applying data analytics and modern machine learning techniques to precision livestock management. The course introduces key concepts and methods for applying statistics and machine learning to high-dimensional livestock data, including data from sensors, imaging technologies, and farm management systems. The program combines lectures with hands-on demonstrations using real-world data and practical software tools developed specifically for course participants.

Schedule

Lecture 1: Big Data and Data Science in Livestock

Lecture 2: Multidimensional Regression and Classification

Lecture 3: Machine Learning Techniques

Lecture 4: Cross-validation and Predictive Metrics

Lecture 5: Primer on Image Processing and Analysis

Lecture 6: Precision Livestock Management Applications

Lecture 7: Mining Operational Farm Data

Lecture 8: Planning Research Studies in Animal Sciences

* Each lecture will last approximately 1 hr 30 min and will be primarily expository, supplemented by demonstrations of Python code and practical examples. Concepts and theory will be illustrated through applications in areas such as wearable sensor technology, computer vision, spectroscopy, and genetics/genomics, among others.

Course Fees: Free

Dates & Place: Tuesday 24th (13:00 – 17:00; Room 15 HSM 00), Wednesday 25th (09:00 – 17:00; Room 15 HSM 00) and Thursday 26th of June 2025 (09:00 – 12:00; Room 24 HSM 00), Kate Granger Building – School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, Surrey University, 30 Priestley Road, Surrey Research Park, GU2 7XH Guildford.

Contact: Please forward your requests for information to Dr. Christos Dadousis (c.dadousis@surrey.ac.uk)

Acknowledgements: Prof. Rosa’s visit to the School of Health Sciences was made possible through a Fellowship awarded by the University of Surrey’s Institute of Advanced Studies.