Ivan Pocrnic

Ivan Pocrnic is a Career Track Fellow at The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, where he specializes in developing novel breeding methodologies and tools at the interface of theoretical quantitative genetics and practical animal breeding. His academic journey began at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, where he earned a BSc in Agricultural Economics and an MSc in Animal Genetics and Breeding. After gaining practical experience at the Croatian Agricultural Agency, he completed his PhD in Animal Breeding and Genetics at the University of Georgia under distinguished scientist Professor Ignacy Misztal. Pocrnic's expertise lies in applying genomic selection to mega-scale datasets across various species including pigs, chickens, and cattle, with a particular focus on single-step genomic prediction. His significant contributions include developing algorithms for mega-scale evaluations now implemented by major livestock breeding companies. At Roslin, he works with diverse data types, from genomic and pedigree information to productivity and environmental records, developing statistical models to predict optimal breeding strategies. His current research focuses on cross-breeding programs and the development of statistical models for analyzing genetic variability in relation to climate challenges.