Saranika Talukder

Dr. Saranika Talukder is a dedicated academic and researcher in the field of Animal Nutrition. She is currently working as a Lecturer at James Cook University, after previously teaching at the University of Melbourne from 2017 to 2023. She earned her PhD from The University of Sydney through a project with FutureDairy, and later received an Endeavour Research Fellowship at Charles Sturt University.

 Dr. Talukder has a strong background in teaching and has designed and taught a variety of university courses in animal nutrition, physiology, and production. She uses a mix of teaching methods—like real-world problem solving, online and in-person learning, and hands-on experiences—to make learning more engaging and effective for students. She also has experience in developing course materials and coordinating subjects, always aiming to create a supportive and enriching learning environment.

 Her proficiency in publishing research articles in national and international journals, alongside her adeptness in delivering engaging presentations to diverse audiences, further strengthens her skill set. She has published 45 research articles in renowned peer-reviewed journals, presented 25 peer-reviewed scientific conference papers, and contributed to three book chapters. She has been the senior author for 41% of her peer-reviewed journal articles, highlighting her significant contribution and leadership in these publications.  With 841 citations and an upward trajectory, her publication h-index stands at 15, and i10-index is 18 (Google Scholar), with an h-index of 10 (Web of Science).

Grants

Collaboration with farmers, industry consultants, and service providers has been a cornerstone of her work. This involvement has led her to serve as an investigator or co-investigator in several industry projects and supervising higher degree research students.  She has secured following competitive research grants.

• Sensors to detect body temperature in heat-stressed sheep (James Cook University, Primary Investigator, 2025)
• An evaluation of the chemical composition and invitro methane production of novel legumes and a plant by-product (James Cook University, Primary Investigator, 2024) 
• Nutritional and in vitro gas fermentation study of a banana-based supplement block for beef cattle in Northern Australia (Commercial company, Primary Investigator, 2025)
• Exploring the impact of reproduction rates on carbon footprint in southeast Australian dairy herds (The University of Melbourne and Murray Dairy, Primary investigator, 2022)
• Use of oaten hay to support sustainable development of dairy production (AgriFutures Australia, Co-chief investigator, 2021-2025)
• Analysis of dairy greenhouse gas emission cost and mitigation strategies (Dairy Australia, Co-investigator, 2022)
• Methane Emissions Project (Murray Dairy, Co-investigator, 2021)
• How do interactions during grazing influence dairy herd performance (The University of Melbourne, Co-investigator, 2018)
• Effects of fish oil supplementation on broiler and mice (PRTC, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Primary investigator, 2011)

Awards/ Scholarships/Fellowships/Travel grants 

·         JCU AgTac travel support, James Cook University, 2025

·         Faculty publication grant, The University of Melbourne, 2023

·         Faculty Travel grant, The University of Melbourne, 2022

·         Winner of Science Communication Workshop organized by ARC CPTT, The University of Melbourne (2019)

·         Runner Up to Australian Dairy Conference (2014)

·         Finalist of emerging young scientist, Dairy Research Foundation, The University of Sydney (2014)

·         James Ramage Wright Research Scholarship, The University of Sydney (2013)

·         Eric Horatio Maclean Scholarship, The University of Sydney (2013)

·     Stock and Meat Industries Scholarship, The University of Sydney (2012)

·      International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, The University of Sydney (2011)

·         Australian Postgraduate Award, The University of Sydney (2011)

Professional Affiliations

• Member, Alpaca Industry Research Network Steering Group
• Member, Australian Association of Animal Science
• Member, Australian Association of Ruminant Nutrition

Current PhD students

o    Sabuj Kanti Nath (2025), Primary supervision

o    Ms Greeshma Gigi (2025), Co-supervision

 Completed PhD student

·         Zelin Li, Co-supervision, University of Melbourne, Thesis title: Investigate the effect of oaten hay use in Chinese dairy production

Media

• https://issuu.com/ruralnewsgroup/docs/dna48_june/20