Dr Luisa Olmo

Adjunct Research Fellow - Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law; School of Environmental and Rural Science

Luisa Olmo

Email: lolmo@une.edu.au

Biography

Dr Luisa Olmo is an early career researcher who is managing and undertaking research on cattle, sheep and goats, focusing on international agricultural development and environmental sustainability in Australia. Dr Olmo has worked on international livestock projects for 10 years in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Now, she also works with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and is investigating goat parasites in Western NSW, microplastics in livestock supply chains and other disease constraints.

Her 22 publications have focussed on livestock productivity monitoring and evaluation, veterinary epidemiology and diagnostics, GPS tracking, genotyping, marketing, value-chain and sociological surveys, and feeding trials.

Qualifications

2015 B. Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (Hons I), University of Sydney

2019 PhD, University of Sydney

Awards

ABC Top 5 Science (2024) -https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/futuretense/the-role-genetics-could-play-in-bringing-down-methane-levels/104459042

APEC Inclusive Science Leadership Program in Thailand (2022)

Crawford fund Student Award (2018)

Veterinary Faculty Publication Prize (2017)

Crawford Fund Scholar (2016)

Primary Research Area/s

International Agricultural Development; Microplastics; Veterinary Epidemiology; Applied Statistics

Research Supervision Experience

Primary supervisor to 1 Masters candidate (completed 2024)

Co-supervise to 2 PhD candidates (both completed 2024), and 4 honours students.

Publications

Recent Publications:

Olmo L, Phengvilaysouk A, Colvin A, Phengsavanh P, Millar J, Xaikhue T, Walkden-Brown S (2025).  Benchmarking smallholder goat enterprises and practices in Central Lao PDR and farmer response to a research and development program. Animal Production Science. Just accepted

Olmo L, Nguyen HV, Nguyen XB, Bui TN, Ngo CTK, Nguyen VD, Hoang N, Morales LE, Walkden-Brown S (2024). Goat meat supply and demand in Vietnam: global context and opportunities and risks for smallholder producers. Animal Production Science 64

Liehr E, Millar J, Walkden-Brown S, Chittavong M, Olmo L (2024). Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 22, 2344778.

Jayasekara PP, Theppangna W, Olmo L, Xaikhue T, Jenkins C, Gerber PF, Walkden-Brown SW (2024). Disease as a constraint on goat production in Lao PDR and trade to neighbouring countries: a review. Animal Production Science 64

Liehr E, Millar J, Walkden-Brown S, Chittavong M, Olmo L (2024). The role of goat production in smallholder systems in Lao PDR: implications for improving productivity and scaling up production. Animal Production Science 64, AN23368.

Jayasekara PP, Jenkins C, Gerber PF, Olmo L, Xaikhue T, Theppangna W, Walkden-Brown SW (2024). Case-control study to identify the causative agents of ophthalmia and conjunctivitis in goats in Savannakhet province of Lao PDR. Veterinary Microbiology 296, 110195.

Le SV, de las Heras-Saldana S, Alexandri P, Olmo L, Walkden-Brown SW, van der Werf JHJ (2024). Genetic diversity, population structure and origin of the native goats in Central Laos. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 00, 1-19.

Memberships

Researchers in Agriculture for International Development (RAID)