Helene Lapierre

Helene Lapierre is a research scientist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre. Her research focuses on factors that influence the efficiency of nutrient use in the production of milk and milk components, studying the intermediary metabolism of dairy cows, and improving the transfer of protein from dairy rations into milk protein to lower production costs.^[1][2] Lapierre has reached international recognition by developing new theories and concepts by integrating leading-edge scientific and technical objectives and spreading this knowledge to dairy nutritionists.^[3]

Education

Lapierre is from Sherbrooke, Quebec.^[3] Lapierre obtained her BSc and MSc in Animal Science from Université Laval, her PhD in Physiology from Université de Sherbrooke, and completed a post-doctorate at the USDA Research Centre in Beltsville, Maryland.^[4]

Career

Lapierre is a research scientist of animal metabolism for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre in Sherbrooke, Québec and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Animal Science at Université Laval.^[4] She joined Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 1984 when she started her PhD.^[3] Lapierre’s research focuses on studying and better understanding cow metabolism in order to improve efficiency of nitrogen utilization. She determines both supply from the diet and nutrient utilization, such as the utilization of nitrogen, at the whole body and tissue level.^[3] In the end, her research helps optimize the formulation of dairy cow feed by reducing protein while maintaining cow health, to help increase revenue and reduce environmental pollutants such as nitrogen.^[5][6][7] Reducing the cost of feed can save the average farm about $4,000 a year.^[7]

Honours and awards

• Canadian Society of Animal Science (CSAS) Award in Excellence in Nutrition and Meat Science (2014)
• American Feed Industry Association Award- The Dairy Nutrition Research Award (2016) ^[3][8]
• Award of Merit for Agronomy (2017) ^[5]

References

1. "Researcher Details". Dairy Farmers of Canada. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
2. "Lapierre Helene". Government of Canada.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. "Awards Program of the American Dairy Science Association". Journal of Dairy Science. 99 (12): 10205–10223. December 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
4. "25th Annual Ruminant Nutrition Symposium, February 4 - February 5, 2014". Retrieved 18 September 2020.
5. "Canadian dairy researcher and extension specialists awarded!". Dairy Research Blog. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
6. "Canadian dairy scientists awarded for research excellence". Dairy Research Blog. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
7. "New approach to feeding cows benefits both farmers and the environment". Government of Canada. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
8. "AFIA Honors Animal and Dairy Science Experts with Annual Awards". Feed and Grain. Retrieved 21 September 2020.