My research interests lie primarily in employing genetic and genomic approaches for sustainable improvement of production, health and welfare traits of farm animal species. I use diverse methods including interdisciplinary approaches to study climate resilience, disease resistance, and production performance in aquaculture and livestock species. Through years of research, I have gained a diverse set of skills including bioinformatic analysis of high throughput genomic data, quantitative genetics, molecular genetics, and landscape genomics. I am an alumna of the Institute of Aquaculture (IOA) where I undertook my PhD research on "Applications of microsatellite markers to genetic management of carps in aquaculture". After my PhD, I joined The Roslin Institute of the University of Edinburgh and for the first three years served as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate in a salmon breeding company - Landcatch Natural Selection Ltd. (currently part of Hendrix Genetics) – to apply marker-assisted selection for IPN resistance in their Atlantic salmon breeding stock. Since then I have worked on other species, particularly poultry. My research on aquaculture has included species from tropical and temperate climates and have implications for promoting sustainable aquaculture in both developing and developed countries. After working for nearly 12 years as a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, I have joined IOA as a Lecturer in April 2022. I have supervised several PhD and MSc students to successful completion and would welcome new students.
Towards a sustainable solution for aquafeed: using live yellow mealworm larvae grown on pre-consumer wastes for tilapia culture in Malawi
PI: Dr Amina Moss
Funded by: Innovate UK
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Article
Gebru G, Belay G, Vallejo-Trujillo A, Dessie T, Gheyas A & Hanotte O (2022) Ecological niche modelling as a tool to identify candidate indigenous chicken ecotypes of Tigray (Ethiopia). Frontiers in Genetics, 13, Art. No.: 968961. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2022.968961
Article
Vallejo-Trujillo A, Kebede A, Lozano-Jaramillo M, Dessie T, Smith J, Hanotte O & Gheyas A (2022) Ecological niche modelling for delineating livestock ecotypes and exploring environmental genomic adaptation: the example of Ethiopian village chicken. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10, Art. No.: 866587. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.866587
Article
Whole genome sequences of 234 indigenous African chickens from Ethiopia
Gheyas A, Vallejo-Trujillo A, Kebede A, Dessie T, Hanotte O & Smith J (2022) Whole genome sequences of 234 indigenous African chickens from Ethiopia. Scientific Data, 9 (1), Art. No.: 53. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01129-4
Article
Mountford J, Gheyas A, Vervelde L & Smith J (2022) Genetic variation in chicken interferon signalling pathway genes in research lines showing differential viral resistance. Animal Genetics, 53 (5), pp. 640-656. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.13233
Article
Gheyas AA, Vallejo-Trujillo A, Kebede A, Lozano-Jaramillo M, Dessie T, Smith J & Hanotte O (2021) Integrated Environmental and Genomic Analysis Reveals the Drivers of Local Adaptation in African Indigenous Chickens. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 38 (10), pp. 4268-4285. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab156
Article
Functional evolution of the colony‐stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) and its ligands in birds
Hume DA, Gutowska‐Ding MW, Garcia‐Morales C, Kebede A, Bamidele O, Trujillo AV, Gheyas AA & Smith J (2020) Functional evolution of the colony‐stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) and its ligands in birds. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 107 (2), pp. 237-250. https://doi.org/10.1002/jlb.6ma0519-172r
Article
Freem L, Summers KM, Gheyas AA, Psifidi A, Boulton K, MacCallum A, Harne R, O’Dell J, Bush SJ & Hume DA (2019) Analysis of the Progeny of Sibling Matings Reveals Regulatory Variation Impacting the Transcriptome of Immune Cells in Commercial Chickens. Frontiers in Genetics, 10, Art. No.: 1032. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2019.01032
Article
Reviving rare chicken breeds using genetically engineered sterility in surrogate host birds
Woodcock ME, Gheyas AA, Mason AS, Nandi S, Taylor L, Sherman A, Smith J, Burt DW, Hawken R & McGrew MJ (2019) Reviving rare chicken breeds using genetically engineered sterility in surrogate host birds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116 (42), pp. 20930-20937. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1906316116
Article
Boschiero C, Moreira GCM, Gheyas AA, Godoy TF, Gasparin G, Mariani PDSC, Paduan M, Cesar ASM, Ledur MC & Coutinho LL (2018) Genome-wide characterization of genetic variants and putative regions under selection in meat and egg-type chicken lines. BMC Genomics, 19 (1), Art. No.: 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-018-4444-0
Article
Commercial chicken breeds exhibit highly divergent patterns of linkage disequilibrium
Pengelly RJ, Gheyas AA, Kuo R, Mossotto E, Seaby EG, Burt DW, Ennis S & Collins A (2016) Commercial chicken breeds exhibit highly divergent patterns of linkage disequilibrium. Heredity, 117 (5), pp. 375-382. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.2016.47
Article
Robledo D, Taggart J, Ireland J, McAndrew B, Starkey W, Haley CS, Hamilton A, Guy DR, Mota-Velasco JC, Gheyas AA, Tinch AE, Verner-Jeffreys DW, Paley RK, Rimmer GSE, Tew IJ, Bishop SC, Bron J & Houston RD (2016) Gene expression comparison of resistant and susceptible Atlantic salmon fry challenged with Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis virus reveals a marked contrast in immune response. BMC Genomics, 17, Art. No.: 279. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-016-2600-y
Article
SMITH J, GHEYAS A & BURT D (2016) Animal genomics and infectious disease resistance in poultry: -EN- -FR- La génomique animale et la résistance aux maladies infectieuses chez les volailles -ES- Genómica animal y resistencia a las enfermedades infecciosas en las aves de corral. Revue Scientifique et Technique de l'OIE, 35 (1), pp. 105-119. https://doi.org/10.20506/rst.35.1.2421
Article
Third Report on Chicken Genes and Chromosomes 2015
Schmid M, Smith J, Burt DW, Aken BL, Antin PB, Archibald AL, Ashwell C, Blackshear PJ, Boschiero C, Brown CT, Burgess SC, Cheng HH, Chow W, Coble DJ, Cooksey A, Crooijmans RP, Damas J, Davis RV, de Koning D, Delany ME, Derrien T, Desta TT, Dunn IC, Dunn M, Ellegren H, Eöry L, Erb I, Farré M, Fasold M, Fleming D, Flicek P, Fowler KE, Frésard L, Froman DP, Garceau V, Gardner PP, Gheyas AA, Griffin DK, Groenen MA, Haaf T, Hanotte O, Hart A, Häsler J, Hedges SB, Hertel J, Howe K, Hubbard A, Hume DA, Kaiser P, Kedra D, Kemp SJ, Klopp C, Kniel KE, Kuo R, Lagarrigue S, Lamont SJ, Larkin DM, Lawal RA, Markland SM, McCarthy F, McCormack HA, McPherson MC, Motegi A, Muljo SA, Münsterberg A, Nag R, Nanda I, Neuberger M, Nitsche A, Notredame C, Noyes H, O'Connor R, O'Hare EA, Oler AJ, Ommeh SC, Pais H, Persia M, Pitel F, Preeyanon L, Prieto Barja P, Pritchett EM, Rhoads DD, Robinson CM, Romanov MN, Rothschild M, Roux P, Schmidt CJ, Schneider A, Schwartz MG, Searle SM, Skinner MA, Smith CA, Stadler PF, Steeves TE, Steinlein C, Sun L, Takata M, Ulitsky I, Wang Q, Wang Y, Warren WC, Wood JM, Wragg D & Zhou H (2015) Third Report on Chicken Genes and Chromosomes 2015. Cytogenetic and Genome Research, 145 (2), pp. 78-179. https://doi.org/10.1159/000430927
Article
Boschiero C, Gheyas AA, Ralph HK, Eory L, Paton B, Kuo R, Fulton J, Preisinger R, Kaiser P & Burt DW (2015) Detection and characterization of small insertion and deletion genetic variants in modern layer chicken genomes. BMC Genomics, 16, Art. No.: 562. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-1711-1
Article
Functional classification of 15 million SNPs detected from diverse chicken populations
Gheyas AA, Boschiero C, Eory L, Ralph H, Kuo R, Woolliams JA & Burt DW (2015) Functional classification of 15 million SNPs detected from diverse chicken populations. DNA Research, 22 (3), pp. 205-217. https://doi.org/10.1093/dnares/dsv005
Article
SNP and INDEL detection in a QTL region on chicken chromosome 2 associated with muscle deposition
Godoy TF, Moreira GCM, Boschiero C, Gheyas AA, Gasparin G, Paduan M, Andrade SCS, Montenegro H, Burt DW, Ledur MC & Coutinho LL (2015) SNP and INDEL detection in a QTL region on chicken chromosome 2 associated with muscle deposition. Animal Genetics, 46 (2), pp. 158-163. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12271
Article
Variant discovery in a QTL region on chromosome 3 associated with fatness in chickens
Moreira GCM, Godoy TF, Boschiero C, Gheyas A, Gasparin G, Andrade SCS, Paduan M, Montenegro H, Burt DW, Ledur MC & Coutinho LL (2015) Variant discovery in a QTL region on chromosome 3 associated with fatness in chickens. Animal Genetics, 46 (2), pp. 141-147. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12263
Article
Development of a high density 600K SNP genotyping array for chicken
Kranis A, Gheyas AA, Boschiero C, Turner F, Yu L, Smith S, Talbot R, Pirani A, Brew F, Kaiser P, Hocking PM, Fife M, Salmon N, Fulton J, Strom TM, Haberer G, Weigend S, Preisinger R, Gholami M, Qanbari S, Simianer H, Watson KA, Woolliams JA & Burt DW (2013) Development of a high density 600K SNP genotyping array for chicken. BMC Genomics, 14 (1), Art. No.: 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-14-59
Article
Microarray resources for genetic and genomic studies in chicken: A review
Gheyas AA & Burt DW (2013) Microarray resources for genetic and genomic studies in chicken: A review. genesis, 51 (5), pp. 337-356. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvg.22387
Article
Qanbari S, Strom TM, Haberer G, Weigend S, Gheyas AA, Turner F, Burt DW, Preisinger R, Gianola D & Simianer H (2012) A High Resolution Genome-Wide Scan for Significant Selective Sweeps: An Application to Pooled Sequence Data in Laying Chickens. Singh N (Editor) PLoS ONE, 7 (11), Art. No.: e49525. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0049525
Article
Gheyas AA, Haley CS, Guy DR, Hamilton A, Tinch AE, Mota-Velasco JC & Woolliams JA (2010) Effect of a major QTL affecting IPN resistance on production traits in Atlantic salmon: Effect of IPN-QTL on production traits. Animal Genetics, 41 (6), pp. 666-668. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2010.02051.x
Article
Gheyas AA, Houston RD, Mota-Velasco JC, Guy DR, Tinch AE, Haley CS & Woolliams JA (2010) Segregation of infectious pancreatic necrosis resistance QTL in the early life cycle of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar): Segregation of IPN resistance QTL. Animal Genetics, 41 (5), pp. 531-536. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2010.02032.x
Article
Houston RD, Haley CS, Hamilton A, Guy DR, Mota-Velasco JC, Gheyas AA, Tinch AE, Taggart J, Bron J, Starkey W, McAndrew B, Verner-Jeffreys DW, Paley RK, Tew IJ & Bishop SC (2010) The susceptibility of Atlantic salmon fry to freshwater infectious pancreatic necrosis is largely explained by a major QTL. Heredity, 105 (3), pp. 318-327. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.2009.171
Article
Gheyas AA, Woolliams JA, Taggart J, Sattar MA, Das TK, McAndrew B & Penman D (2009) Heritability estimation of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) harvest traits using microsatellite based parentage assignment. Aquaculture, 294 (3-4), pp. 187-193. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00448486; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2009.06.013
Book Chapter
Houston RD, Gheyas AA, Hamilton A, Guy DR, Tinch AE, Taggart J, McAndrew B, Haley CS & Bishop SC (2008) Detection and confirmation of a major QTL affecting resistance to infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) in Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar). In: Pinard M, Gay C, Patoret P & Dodet B (eds.) Animal Genomics for Animal Health: Paris, France, 25-27 October 2007. Developments in Biologicals, 132. Basel: Karger, pp. 199-204. http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?doi=10.1159/000317160; https://doi.org/10.1159/000317160
Article
Gheyas AA, Cairney M, Gilmour AE, Sattar MA, Das TK, McAndrew B, Penman D & Taggart J (2006) Characterization of microsatellite loci in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), and cross-amplification in other cyprinid species. Molecular Ecology Notes, 6 (3), pp. 656-659. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-8286.2006.01288.x
Thesis
Applications of Microsatellite Markers to Genetic Management of Carps in Aquaculture
Gheyas A (2006) Applications of Microsatellite Markers to Genetic Management of Carps in Aquaculture. Doctor of Philosophy. University of Stirling.
Article
Mia MY, Taggart J, Gilmour AE, Gheyas AA, Das TK, Kohinoor AHM, Rahman MA, Sattar MA, Hussain MG, Mazid MA, Penman D & McAndrew B (2005) Detection of hybridization between Chinese carp species (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Aristichthys nobilis) in hatchery broodstock in Bangladesh, using DNA microsatellite loci. Aquaculture, 247 (1-4), pp. 267-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2005.02.018
