A veterinarian from western Canada will receive the prestigious Allen D. Leman Science in Practice Award 2021 during the annual Allen D. Leman Swine Conference from September 18-21 in St. Paul, Minn in September.
Egan Brockhoff, DVM, President and Managing Partner of Prairie Swine Health Services in Red Deer, Alberta, will join a growing and illustrious list of veterinarians who have received the award.
“I was very humble when I got the call,” says Brockhoff. “What a great feeling to be recognized by such a world famous group. As you get involved in your job, your customers, your team, and your industry, day after year, year after year, you sometimes forget to raise your head and appreciate the value and positive contributions you are making out there. ”
For more than 20 years, this award has honored veterinarians like Egan who are leaders in our swine industry, says Montse Torremorell, DVM, PhD and professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Veterinary Population Medicine.
Scientifically sound knowledge
Brockhoff is convinced that evidence-based medicine is a “must” for pork production.
“Your previous knowledge and your gut feeling are good starting points,” says Brockhoff, “but we have to test them.”
He also advocates an inclusive, team-based approach to the application of science.
“We need to involve producers in our questions and work with universities to ensure that our study design and methods lead to actionable results,” he says.
The most important thing is to keep projects simple – don’t expect to have all of your questions answered in a single study. When hiring or mentoring new practitioners, Brockhoff has made it a priority to help them complete a science project within the first 90 days. Examples are a health-oriented attempt or something related to behavior or work effort. He says the main point of the project is to see the value of constant testing and refinement at the beginning of the career.
Outstanding ambassador
“DR. Brockhoff is an outstanding ambassador for the integration of science into the practice of veterinary medicine”, says Lucina Galina, DVM, PhD and head of the technical service pork at Zoetis. Zoetis supports this award. “We appreciate his long history of innovation and his tireless efforts Strive for solutions to improve pig health. ”
Zoetis sponsors the reception of this year’s Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, where he will be honored.
Brockhoff completed his DVM in 2006 from the University of Saskatchewan, Western College of Veterinary Medicine. He began providing advisory services to pigs in Southeast Asia in 2010 with a focus on veterinary training, disease management and control, and enhancement of biosecurity capacities. Egan has taught swine medicine in the University of Calgary School of Veterinary Medicine since 2008. His passion for agriculture and helping farmers and agribusiness brought him to the Canadian Pork Council in 2014, where he continues to serve as the organization’s veterinary advisor.
“To be included on such a remarkable list of professionals and dedicated leaders is truly a wonderful moment for me. Some really appreciated the fuel to keep up the hard work and a good reminder that the scientific process must never stop and that the translation and transfer of knowledge will always be of value to our profession and our sector, ”says Brockhoff.
Learn more about the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference at lemanconference.umn.edu.
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