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About Me

Dr Karen Harper is an Associate Professor in Agriculture in the School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences at Central Queensland University. Karen is also a member of the Future Farming Institute and Precision Livestock Group at CQU.

Karen is a ruminant nutritionist and her research has focused on tropical pastures and environments.

- Increasing productivity and reducing methane emissions by supplementing feed with dietary lipids - (MLA funded)
- The role of iNDF in dairy cattle nutrition in subtropical Australia - (Dairy Australia funded)
- Kikuyu ecotype Studies - (DAF and Norco funded)
- A range of probiotic studies (ARC, Ridley and Christian-Hansen funding)
- Developing ration formulators

Karen has also worked on a number of ACIAR funded international research projects in Indonesia (Straw cow, More beef), Myanmar and across Africa, in either an administrative/management role, or as project leader. She is strongly motivated in building successful teams and building the research capacity of students and scientists and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in developing countries.

General

Background

Karen grew up in the heart of the Lockyer Valley in south-east Queensland. Here she gained experience in cattle production systems and horticultural production. Her passion for agriculture led her to study agriculture at The University of Queensland. She went on to complete a Masters of Agriculture Science (1991 –1996) in Microbial protein production in sheep consuming low phosphorus diets and her PhD (2008 - 2011) in The association between rumen microbial protein production with rumen microbial community structure. She went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in Indigestible NDF assessment of tropical forages and then worked in the teaching space while working on international development projects in Myanmar, Indonesia and Africa. Dr Harper's goal is to find innovative solutions to livestock industries in Australia and overseas.

Universities Studied At

The University of Queensland

Universities Worked At

The University of Queensland

Awards

Frank Nicklin Scholarship

Previous teaching

Dr Karen Harper has an exceptional understanding of all aspects of teaching in agriculture and animal science and has designed, coordinated and delivered a broad range of courses. Many courses were over 120-250 students and have an undergraduate, postgraduate, internal and external component.

Karen also undertaken teaching in a range of international settings and formats such as a veterinary science nutrition course at Nong Lam in Ho Chi Minh city, as well as organising and taking field trips to Indonesia to study agricultural systems. She has designed and coordinated two courses for ACIAR learn in research project management and research administrative management for senior leaders in developing countries. This teaching role blends teaching experience with research and management skills in a new and exciting learning platforms such as catalpa international and ACORN.

Professional Memberships

Australian Association of Animal Sciences (AAAS)

Key Achievements

Dr Karen Harper has a demonstrated track record in the successful completion of projects over a range of themes, across a variety of research groups and from an array of funding agencies (ACIAR MLA, Dairy Australia and companies). Some key achievements include:

Development of the ACIAR LCR formulator,

Development of the app BeefUpp

Development of the Indigestible NIR calibration

Industry Reports

Harper K.J, Poppi D.P. Noviandi C.T. (2022) Profitable feeding strategies for smallholder cattle in Indonesia. LPS/2013/021. Final report. Published by ACIAR

Poppi D., Harper K. (2017) Heifer-calf and fattening strategies. LPS/2014/022. ACIAR final report.

Hanks J., Poppi D, Oo K., Aung A. Campbell A, Henning J., Quigley S., Harper K. and Dalgleish N. (2017) Improving livelihoods of small scale livestock producers in the central dry zone through research on animal production and health in Myanmar. Project AH/2011/054. ACIAR final report.

Harper K and Wong P (2015) Screen and quantify the biodiversity of existing collections of kikuyu plants in terms of ME, kikuyu yellows resistance and cold tolerance and identify potential ecotypes for commercialization. Final report for C100000928 C4Milk. Funded by Dairy Australia.

Harper K.J. (2014) The role of iNDF in dairy cattle nutrition in subtropical Australia. Project UQ13912. Collaborators Dairy Australia, DAFF (Qld), The University of Queensland.

Harper K.J., Klieve A. (project leader), Martinez E., Ouwerkerk D. (2012). Increasing productivity and reducing methane emissions by supplementing feed with dietary lipids. Project B.CCH.1014. Published by MLA.