Chair
Emiliano Lasagna
University of Perugia
Perugia, Italy

Term of service (2nd, 2025-2029)

Emiliano Lasagna graduated in animal sciences from the University of Perugia (Perugia, Italy) and earned his PhD in animal genetic resources from the University of Padova (Padova, Italy). He is currently an associate professor of animal genetics. He has more than 20 years of research experience in animal breeding and genetics. His work focuses on the phenotypic and genetic characterization (using molecular markers) of Italian and European local breeds of sheep, cattle, and chickens. His research has centered on genomics and the application of genomic selection in the five Italian beef cattle breeds: Marchigiana, Chianina, Romagnola, Maremmana, and Podolica. In particular, he has explored the genomic diversity and genetic architecture of the productive traits of these breeds, with special emphasis on the study of the double-muscling phenomenon (myostatin gene) in the Marchigiana beef cattle breed. His laboratory served as the duty laboratory for the ISAG Pigs Comparison Test (2018–2019 and 2024–2025) and the ISAG Cattle Comparison Test (2020–2021 and 2022–2023). He is a member of several scientific associations, including ISAG, WPSA, the Italian Society of Sheep and Goat Pathology and Breeding (SIPAOC), and the Association for Science and Animal Production (ASPA) . He is currently serving as an ex officio member of the ISAG Executive Committee (2025–2027).

Co-Chair
Paul Flynn
Weatherbys Scientific
Co Kildare, Ireland

Term of service (1st, 2023-2027)

Paul joined Weatherbys Scientific in 2002 and holds nearly 20 years’ experience in multispecies molecular testing, specializing in application of the latest omic technologies and bioinformatic solutions.

Paul’s career began at a grass-roots laboratory level, realizing a thorough understanding of laboratory methods from bench to data. Paul now heads Weatherbys Scientific’s R&D team and currently chairs Weatherbys Scientific’s Scientific Advisory Board, with both roles feeding into focused technology road maps to help Weatherbys Scientific’s customers meet their breeding objectives.

Paul is actively involved in laboratory operations to support parentage testing services for Weatherbys Thoroughbred General Stud Book, along with several other equine breed societies, using STR methods, and has also overseen the introduction of SNP-based parentage testing capabilities at Weatherbys Scientific, which currently serves both bovine and ovine species.

Paul has recently completed a study comparing accuracies of both STR and SNP when performing parentage analysis in Thoroughbred horses, using two SNP panel densities to facilitate both parentage verification and discovery. Further study interests include an ongoing part-time research PhD in equine and bovine conservation genomics, of which one chapter undertakes a conservation genomics review on the rare native Irish Kerry Bog Pony, using SNP to better understand the breed’s population genetics status, to facilitate conservation management strategies aimed at ensuring the survival of this rare native genetic resource.

In terms of spare-time hobbies, I have five adorable children, all under the age of 10 . . . so I have no hobbies!

Member
Marcela Martinez

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Term of service (2nd, 2023-2027)

Marcela Martinez is a biochemist with doctorates in molecular biology and biotechnology from the University of La Plata and University of San Martin, respectively. Since 2004, Martinez has been working in a service laboratory aimed to livestock and companion animals, genotyping for both parentage and genetic disease testing. She has also been teaching at the genetics department of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Buenos Aires. She has been a member of the Cattle Molecular Markers and Parentage Testing Committee, the Applied Genetics and Genomics in other Species of Economic Interest, and Chair of the Equine Genetics and Thoroughbred Parentage Testing Standardization Committee.

Member
Guillermo Giovambattista
Instituto de Genética Veterinaria (IGEVET), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
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Term of service (2nd, 2025-2029)

Guillermo Giovambattista has a PhD in natural science from the National University of La Plata, Argentina. Giovambattista was chair of the ISAG AnimaI Forensic Genetics and a member of the ISAG Equine Genetics and Thoroughbred Parentage Testing Committee. He is currently a professor of genetics and animal forensic genetics at the National University of La Plata, Argentina.

Member
Rosina Fossati
Genexa
Montevideo, Uruguay

Term of service (2nd, 2025-2029)

Rosina Fossati is a co-founder of Genexa. Genexa is a molecular genetics service provider laboratory in Uruguay, South America. The laboratory works in the following three main sectors: animal, vegetal, and food industry. Fossati is a biologist and has a postgraduate certificate in animal science from UC Davis.

Member
Yoshiyuki Miyazaki
Livestock Improvement Association of Japan, Inc
Gunma, Japan

Term of service (2nd, 2025-2029)

Yoshiyuki Miyazaki has a MS in agriculture from Hiroshima University, 14 years of experience in STR parentage verification, and 8 years of experience in SNP parentage verification. Miyazaki has following work experience:
• Livestock Improvement Association of Japan, Inc. (July 2021 – present)
• Deputy Section Chief, Section of Cattle DNA Typing (April 2019 – present)
• Senior Staff, Section of Cattle DNA Typing (April 2014 – March 2019)
• Researcher, Section of Cattle DNA Typing (April 2007 – March 2014)
• Researcher, Section of Cattle Genetic Analysis (April 2005 – March 2007)

Member
Romy Morrin-O'Donnell
Weatherbys Scientific
Naas, Ireland

Term of service, (Ex Officio)

Member
Kimberley Walsh
Neogen
Bundamba, Australia

Term of service (1st, 2025-2029)