Research Area(s)
- Swine Nutrition and Physiology
- Amino Acid Nutrition and Metabolism
- Nutrient Utilization Efficiency in Pigs
- Energy Metabolism in Pigs
- Interaction Between Nutrition, Fiber, and Microbiome of Pigs
Department
Animal and Poultry Science
Brief Biography
Dr. Michael O. Wellington is a Senior Research Scientist at the Global Swine Research Centre, Trouw Nutrition, Netherlands, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Saskatchewan. He earned his BSc in Animal Science from the University of Ghana in 2012, followed by dual MSc degrees through the Erasmus Mundus Food of Life programme (2014–2016) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Copenhagen. Dr. Wellington began his PhD studies in swine nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan in September 2016 and completed his degree in January 2020, focusing on how dietary fiber and immune challenge affect threonine requirements in growing pigs. Notably, Dr. Wellington’s research on threonine requirements has informed industry feeding protocols, leading to improved growth rates and health outcomes in commercial pig operations. Afterward, he undertook a one-year postdoctoral fellowship, collaborating with Mitacs Accelerate and Prairie Swine Centre, where he studied metabolomic differences in low-birth-weight, nutrient-restricted pigs. Since joining Trouw Nutrition's global swine R&D team in January 2021, Dr. Wellington has led the development of nutritional solutions and programs for piglets, emphasizing quantitative nutrition, nutrient utilization efficiency, and energy and protein metabolism. His research aims to advance Trouw Nutrition’s leadership in piglet nutrition and create new strategies to enhance productivity, profitability, and sustainability within the swine industry. Dr. Wellington’s diverse academic background across Ghana, Sweden, Denmark, Canada and Netherlands equips him with a unique global perspective on swine nutrition research.
Research Interests
Dr. Wellington's research interests include optimizing quantitative nutrition for pigs under stress conditions such as poor sanitation or disease challenge, improving energy and protein utilization efficiency in piglets, and investigating the metabolic needs of low birth weight pigs to develop targeted nutritional interventions. These topics are crucial for addressing industry challenges related to pig health, growth, and overall productivity, ensuring sustainable and profitable swine production.
Education
PhD (Animal Science) University of Saskatchewan, 2020
MSc (Animal Science) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2016
MSc (Animal Derived-Foods) University of Copenhagen, 2016
BSc Agriculture (Animal Science) University of Ghana, Legon, 2012