Research interests

• Consequences of fetal and neonatal development
• Influences on skeletal muscle development and body composition
• Behaviour and stress physiology

Background

Paul Greenwood is a Principal Research Scientist in NSW Department of Primary Industries Production Research, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of New England. He heads NSW DPIs research effort on “Biological validation and gene expression underpinning gene discovery for beef yield and quality characteristics” within the CRC for Beef Genetic Technologies.

Dr Greenwood also undertakes research on cellular development of muscle within the Sheep Industry CRC and the AWI-MLA SheepGenomics program. He is a member of the ARC/NH&MRC Research Network on Genes and Environment in Development and a representative on the Southern Australian Beef Research Council.

His research also focuses on long-term consequences of fetal and neonatal growth and nutrition in ruminants, and on temperament and stress-responsiveness in relation to productivity, efficiency and meat quality.

Dr Greenwood has an international reputation for his research on consequences of growth and nutrition during early life. This work has also resulted in new management recommendations to the Australian beef industry. 

Qualifications

• BScAgr (Syd)
• MScAgr (Syd)
• PhD (Cornell)

Current projects

• Biological validation and gene expression underpinning gene discovery for beef yield and quality characteristics
• Genetic, nutritional and other impacts on muscle development and body composition in ruminants
• Long-term consequences of fetal and neonatal growth and nutrition in ruminants
• Cattle temperament and stress-responsiveness in relation to productivity, efficiency and beef quality

Selected Recent Publications

Greenwood PL, Tomkins NW, Hunter RA, Allingham PG, Harden S and Harper GS (2009) Bovine myofibre characteristics are influenced by post-weaning nutrition. Journal of Animal Science (accepted)

Cafe LM, Ferguson DM, Robinson DL and Greenwood PL (2009) Stress physiology in cattle is modified by temperament and hormonal growth promotant. XIth International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology (accepted)

Greenwood PL, Cafe LM, Pethick DW, Robinson DL and Thompson JM (2009) Production and processing studies on calpain-system gene markers in cattle. XIth International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology (accepted)

Greenwood PL, Cafe LM, Hearnshaw H, Hennessy DW, and Morris SG (2009) Consequences of birth weight and pre-weaning growth for yield of primal cuts from 30 month-old Piedmontese- and Wagyu-sired cattle. Animal Production Science 49:468-478.

Cafe L, Hennessy DW, Hearnshaw H, Morris SG and Greenwood PL (2009) Long-term consequences of birth weight and growth to weaning for feedlot growth and efficiency of Piedmontese- and Wagyu-sired cattle. Animal Production Science 49:461-467.

Wang YH. Bower NI, Reverter A, Tan SH, De Jager N, Wan R, McWilliam SM, Cafe LM, Greenwood PL and Lehnert SA (2009) Gene expression patterns during intramuscular fat development in cattle. Journal of Animal Science 87:119-130.

Greenwood PL and Dunshea FR (2009) Biology and regulation of carcass composition. In: Improving the Sensory and Nutritional Quality of Fresh Meat. Editors J.P. Kerry and D. Ledward. pp.19-60. Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge. ISBN 1 84569 343 4.

Greenwood PL and Cafe LM (2007) Prenatal and pre-weaning growth and nutrition of cattle: Long-term consequences for beef production. Animal 1:1283-1296.

Lehnert SA, Reverter A, Byrne KA, Wang Y, Nattrass G, Hudson NJ, and Greenwood PL (2007) Gene expression profiling of developing bovine muscle from two different beef cattle breeds. BMC Developmental Biology 7:95

Greenwood PL, Harden S and Hopkins DL (2007) Myofibre characteristics of ovine longissimus and semitendinosus muscles are influenced by sire breed, gender, rearing type, age, and carcass weight. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47:1137-1146.

Reverter A, Hudson NJ, Wang Y, Tan S-H, Barris W, Byrne KA, McWilliam SM, Bottema CDK, Kister A, Greenwood PL, Harper GS, Lehnert SA and Dalrymple BP (2006) A gene co-expression network of bovine skeletal muscle inferred from microarray data. Physiological Genomics 28:76-83.

Lehnert SA, Byrne KA, Reverter A, Nattrass G, Greenwood PL, Wang Y, Hudson NJ and Harper GS (2006) Gene expression profiling of bovine longissimus muscle in response to and during recovery from chronic and severe undernutrition. Journal of Animal Science  84:3239-3250.

Kilgour RJ, Melville GJ and Greenwood PL (2006) Individual differences in the reaction of beef cattle to situations involving social isolation, close proximity of humans, restraint and novelty. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 99:21-40 

Nattrass GS, Quigley SP, Gardner GE, McLaughlan CJ, Bawden CS, Hegarty RS and  Greenwood PL (2006) Genotypic and nutritional regulation of gene expression in two sheep hindlimb muscles with distinct myofibre and metabolic characteristics. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57:691-698.

Greenwood PL, Cafe L, Hearnshaw H, Hennessy DW and Morris SG (2006) Long-term consequences of birth weight and growth to weaning for carcass, yield and beef quality characteristics of Piedmontese- and Wagyu-sired cattle. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46:257-269.

Bell AW, Greenwood PL and Ehrhardt RA (2005) Regulation of metabolism and growth during prenatal life. In: Biology and Metabolism of Growing Animals, editors D.G. Burrin and H.J. Mersmann, pp. 3-34. Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.

Greenwood PL and Bell AW (2003) Consequences of intrauterine growth retardation for postnatal growth, metabolism and pathophysiology. Reproduction Supplements 61:195-206.

Professional associations and activities

• Australian Society of Animal Production
• American Society of Animal Science

Fields of Research

070204 Animal Nutrition
070203 Animal Management
070202 Animal Growth and Development
070702 Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Fetal programming
• Muscle biology
• Body composition
• Behaviour
• Stress physiology
  

Contact details