Brian Joseph Leury

Brian Leury graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science (Honours) in 1981 and obtained his PhD in ruminant nutrition and physiology in 1987, both from La Trobe University. 

Brian is an honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne having recently retired after almost 30 years with the University and a research career spanning over 35 years in livestock nutrition, growth and development, and nutritional physiology. Over this time Brian has maintained a balanced approach to research, combining fundamental with applied research, providing commercial and public good outcomes. Brian has also been a leading University adminstrator having been Acting Dean and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultual Sciences, Head of the School of Agriculture and Food, as well as making a significant contribution to animal welfare as Chair of Animal Ethics committees and as the Faculty Animal Experimentation License holder. In addition, Brian represented the Faculty on several University-wide committees and on the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture. Prior to joining the University of Melbourne, he spent six years in the State Departments of Agriculture in Western Australia and Victoria undertaking applied research within the sheep wool and meat industries. 

Brian is an internationally recognised scientist and has made some outstanding contributions to our understanding of ruminant nutrition, nutrient partitioning in pregnancy and lactation, energy metabolism and body composition and reducing the effects of environmental stress on livestock performance. Two examples of this include the widespread international adoption of dietary magnesium to reduce stress around slaughter and ensure meat quality and advancing our knowledge of the physiology underlying efficiency of feed conversion. A real strength of Brian’s is his ability to use complex analytical tools, including investigating biology at a cellular and molecular level, to answer quite applied questions and to then present these findings to scientific and farmer audiences.  

Brian’s research has an impressive breadth and quality, and he is held in high esteem nationally and internationally. He has published over 400 journal, book, conference, and technical articles including over 170 refereed journal and conference papers, around 40% as a senior author, indicating leadership and stewardship of this research and an h-index of 39. Brian has a demonstrated ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary groups and to enhance collaborations, which is seen in his impressive list of co-authors and collaborating organizations. He has published in a broad range of journals and, where relevant, in high impact percentiles for the respective discipline. An example of this is a co-authored paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science which has accrued 790 citations.  

Brian has a passion for capacity building and nurturing and mentoring young scientists. Over his research career he has supervised or co-supervised and mentored many early career scientists, PhD students, masters students and undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to leadership roles in industry and academia. He has always had a substantial teaching and curriculum development role, including stints as coordinator of Agricultural Science and Animal Science and Management degrees. He has exhibited dedication and enthusiasm for students and their welfare and maintained a strong nexus between his teaching and research. He is the Editor in Chief of Ruminants and on the Editorial Board of Animals.  Brian has provided service to AAAS being Treasurer of the Victorian and Tasmanian Branch of ASAP in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s and was on the organising committee for the Biennial meeting in Melbourne in 2004. 

In recognition of his contribution to animal science and the animal industries of Australia through education, research and leadership, the Australian Association of Animal Sciences is pleased to enrol Professor Brian Leury as a Fellow.