About Liveness Jessica Banda, PhD.

---

Liveness is an Associate Professor in Animal Physiology at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) where she has been working since 2002. She currently serves as the Programmes Coordinator for the university. In her position, she coordinates various university programmes and activities including developing project proposals; organizing research and outreach; results dissemination and developing project management systems and monitoring their implementation and performance.

She is also responsible for national and international partner engagement. As an associate professor she is also involved in teaching, research, outreach and consultancy in animal science, general agricultural and related rural development programs. Liveness has previously served as a head of Animal Science Department at LUANAR in addition to serving in various other leadership and teaching positions and committees at the University and elsewhere. She currently serves as a reviewer for institutions and some journals and is a board member for several organisations.

Her research interests are in food systems with focus on livestock and crops in relation to farming systems for efficient and sustainable production systems and socio-economic development. So far, her research focus has been on improvement of livestock reproduction, production systems, animal and human welfare in relation to managing climate change and improving livelihoods. Her goal is to innovatively contribute to integration of modern technology and agricultural resource management concepts in existing systems for improved agricultural productivity, profitability, human wellbeing and environmental management using systems approaches.