Dr. Sebastian Legrange 2024
Researcher
National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Argentina

Dr. Stephen Van Vliet 2024
Nutrition Scientist
Utah State University

Dr. Sebastian Lagrange, a distinguished range scientist from Argentina, has joined our Smart Foodscape project as a visiting scholar. With a deep-rooted passion for sustainable livestock production, Dr. Lagrange brings a wealth of expertise to our team.

Hailing from the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina, Dr. Lagrange's research has centered on harnessing the potential of tannin-rich legumes to improve livestock performance while reducing environmental impact. His previous work at Utah State University, where he earned his PhD in Range Science with a focus on Range Ruminant Nutrition, provides a strong foundation for his contributions to our project.

During his time at Richmond Research Farm, Dr. Lagrange will employ the SF6 technique to measure methane emissions from cows grazing meadow brome supplemented with condensed tannins. This research aims to demonstrate the efficacy of tannin supplementation in mitigating methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from ruminant livestock.

With over two decades of experience in ruminant nutrition and beef cattle production, Dr. Lagrange's insights will be instrumental in advancing our understanding of sustainable grazing systems. His proven track record in both research and extension will undoubtedly benefit our project and the broader agricultural community.

Dr. Stephan Van Vliet is a nutrition scientist with metabolomics expertise in NDFS. He earned his PhD in Kinesiology as an ESPEN Fellow from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and received training at the Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine and Duke University School of Medicine.

Dr. Van Vliet’s research is performed at the nexus of agricultural and human health. He routinely collaborates with farmers, ecologists, and agricultural scientists to study critical linkages between agricultural production methods, the nutrient density of food, and human health.