About Mr NANDOLO Wilson

Overview
Wilson is a lecturer in animal breeding at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi, Southern Africa. He also created and manages Livestock in Malawi, a website with an overview of the Malawian livestock industry. One of his passions is advocating for livestock policy changes towards creating a conducive environment in which farmers can derive maximum benefits from their livestock, especially through genetics and animal breeding regulation and legislation. He has been participating in research and development projects that are using animal breeding as an integral part of the tools for improvement of people's livelihoods. His other professional interests include livestock data mining and knowledge management as effective tools for helping farmers make informed decisions about their livestock. He is currently working on discovery and characterization of structural variants in the goat genome as a way of understanding goat genetic resources better. He has also been working on application of low-cost genomic tools (such as custom SNP chips for parentage testing and marker-assisted selection) for goat improvement in low-input systems. Wilson likes computing. He spends a lot of his spare time trying to figure out cooler and easier ways of sifting through and making sense of his data and information. Sometimes, even if it's working, he breaks it just to find out if he can make it work better.

Personal details
Date of birth: April 22, 1983
Sex: Male
Nationality: Malawi

Contact details
Phone: +265993375505
Skype: wilsonandolo
Email: wnandolo@luanar.ac.mw
Website: http://www.wilsonnandolo.com

Education
Doctor of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (2019)
Institution: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
Thesis: Prevalence of copy number variants and runs of homozygosity in cattle and goats

Master of Science in Animal Science (2013)
Institution: University of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi.
Thesis: Evaluation of breeding systems and structures of Malawi Zebu Cattle in Mzimba District, Northern Malawi.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture (Animal Science) (2007)
Institution: University of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi.
Dissertation: The effect of inbreeding on post-partum kit mortality and performance at the Bunda College Rabbit Research Unit.

Professional experience
August 2013 to date
Employer: LUANAR, Bunda College campus, Lilongwe, Malawi
Position: Lecturer in Animal Breeding
Key responsibilities: Teaching undergraduate and graduate students; supervising the students’ research projects and conducting research, consultancies and outreach in animal breeding and livestock production.

August 2012 to August 2013
Employer: LUANAR, Bunda College campus, Lilongwe, Malawi
Position: Staff Associate in Animal Physiology
Key responsibilities: Assisting in teaching undergraduate students; conducting research and consultancies and outreach programme related to animal physiology and livestock production.

July 2008 to July 2012
Employer: Malawi Government, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development, Lilongwe, Malawi
Position: Animal Health and Livestock Development Officer
Key responsibilities: Coordinating animal breeding programmes on government farms, teaching diploma students at Mikolongwe College of Veterinary Science, supervising students’ research projects.

July 2007 to May 2008
Employer: Malawi Govern Position: Secondary School Teacher
Key responsibilities: Teaching Mathematics and Physical Science.


Selected publications
Peer-reviewed journal articles

1. Nandolo, W., Mészáros, G., Wurzinger, M., Banda, L.J., Gondwe, T.N., Mulindwa, H.A., Nakimbugwe, H.N., Clark, E.L., Woodward-Greene, M.J., Liu, M., Liu, G.E., Van Tassell, C.P., Rosen, B.D., Sölkner, J., the VarGoats Consortium, 2021. Detection of copy number variants in African goats using whole genome sequence data. BMC Genomics 22, 398. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-021-07703-1
2. Kaumbata, W., Nakimbugwe, H., Nandolo, W., Banda, L.J., Mészáros, G., Gondwe, T., Woodward-Greene, M.J., Rosen, B.D., Van Tassell, C.P., Sölkner, J., Wurzinger, M., 2021. Experiences from the Implementation of Community-Based Goat Breeding Programs in Malawi and Uganda: A Potential Approach for Conservation and Improvement of Indigenous Small Ruminants in Smallholder Farms. Sustainability 13, 1494. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031494
3. Rosen, B.D., Bickhart, D.M., Schnabel, R.D., Koren, S., Elsik, C.G., Tseng, E., Rowan, T.N., Low, W.Y., Zimin, A., Couldrey, C., Hall, R., Li, W., Rhie, A., Ghurye, J., McKay, S.D., Thibaud-Nissen, F., Hoffman, J., Murdoch, B.M., Snelling, W.M., McDaneld, T.G., Hammond, J.A., Schwartz, J.C., Nandolo, W., Hagen, D.E., Dreischer, C., Schultheiss, S.J., Schroeder, S.G., Phillippy, A.M., Cole, J.B., Van Tassell, C.P., Liu, G., Smith, T.P.L., Medrano, J.F., 2020. De novo assembly of the cattle reference genome with single-molecule sequencing. GigaScience 9. https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giaa021
4. Nandolo, W., Mészáros, G., Banda, L.J., Gondwe, T.N., Lamuno, D., Mulindwa, H.A., Nakimbugwe, H.N., Wurzinger, M., Utsunomiya, Y.T., Woodward-Greene, M.J., Liu, M., Liu, G., Van Tassell, C.P., Curik, I., Rosen, B.D., Sölkner, J., 2019. Timing and Extent of Inbreeding in African Goats. Frontiers in Genetics 10, 537. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2019.00537
5. Lamuno, D., Sölkner, J., Mészáros, G., Nakimbugwe, H., Mulindwa, H., Nandolo, W., Gondwe, T., van Tassel, C., Gutiérrez, G., Mueller, J., Wurzinger, M., 2018. Evaluation framework of community-based livestock breeding programs. Livestock Research for Rural Development 30. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd30/3/mari30047.html
   
6. Nandolo, W., Utsunomiya, Y.T., Mészáros, G., Wurzinger, M., Khayadzadeh, N., Torrecilha, R.B.P., Mulindwa, H.A., Gondwe, T.N., Waldmann, P., Ferenčaković, M., Garcia, J.F., Rosen, B.D., Bickhart, D., Van Tassell, C.P., Curik, I., Sölkner, J., 2018. Misidentification of runs of homozygosity islands in cattle caused by interference with copy number variation or large intermarker distances, Genetics Selection Evolution. BioMed Central. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-018-0414-x
7. Nandolo, W., Gondwe, T., Banda, M., 2016. Phenotypic and genetic parameters of calf growth traits for Malawi Zebu. Livestock Research for Rural Development 28. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd28/2/nand28032.htm
   
8. Nandolo, W., 2015. The performance of Jersey cattle at Naming’omba tea and coffee estate in Malawi. Livestock Research for Rural Development 27. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd27/1/nand27014.htm
   
9. Nandolo, W., Gondwe, T.N., Banda, L.J., 2015. Characterisation of breeding systems for Malawi Zebu cattle in Mzimba District, Northern Malawi. Malawi Journal of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Development Studies 1, 14–20. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289980225_Characterisation_of_breeding_systems_for_Malawi_Zebu_cattle_in_Mzimba_District_Northern_Malawi
   

Conference papers

1. Nandolo, W., Lamuno, D., Banda, L., Gondwe, T., Mulindwa, H., Nakimbugwe, H., Mészáros, G., Wurzinger, M., Rosen, B., Woodward-Greene, M., Tassell, C. van, Sölkner, J., 2018. Distribution of copy number variants in the genomes of East African goat breeds. In: Proceedings of the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production. World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, p. 470. https://www.wcgalp.org/system/files/proceedings/2018/distribution-copy-number-variants-genomes-east-african-goat-breeds.pdf
2. Kukuckova, V., Kasarda, R., Moravcikova, N., Nandolo, W., Mészáros, G., 2018. Fine-scale population structure and inbreeding in Slovak Pinzgau cattle. In: Proceedings of the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production. World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, p. 919. https://www.wcgalp.org/system/files/proceedings/2018/fine-scale-population-structure-and-inbreeding-slovak-pinzgau-cattle.pdf
3. Nandolo, Wilson, Maria Wurzinger, Gábor Mészáros, Curt van Tassell, Timothy Gondwe, Henry Mulindwa, Doreen Lamuno, Tesfaye Getachew, Solomon Abegaz Guangul, Heather Huson, Jennifer Woodward-Greene, Aynalem Haile8, Johann Sölkner. 2016. Estimation of inbreeding in Ethiopian goats using runs of homozygosity. XXVIIth Genetic Days, International Scientific Genetic Conference, September 7-9, 2016 Nitra, Slovak Republic. httpss://www.researchgate.net/publication/309380238_Estimation_of_inbreeding_in_Ethiopian_goats_using_runs_of_homozygosity
4. Nandolo, Wilson, Maria Wurzinger, Gábor Mészáros, Curt Van Tassell, Timothy Gondwe, Henry Mulindwa, Doreen Lamuno, Johann Sölkner. 2016. Identification of breeding objectives in community-based goat breeding programmes in Malawi. 24th International Symposium Animal Science Days: Technology-driven animal production, 21st to 23rd September 2016 Ptuj, Slovenia. https://aas.bf.uni-lj.si/zootehnika/supl/5-2016/PDF/5-2016-103-108.pdf
5. Nandolo, Wilson, Maria Wurzinger, Gábor Mészáros, Curt van Tassell, Timothy Gondwe, Henry Mulindwa, Doreen Lamuno, Johann Sölkner. 2016. Community-based goat breeding programs in Malawi: set-up and first experiences. Tropentag, September 18-21, 2016, BOKU Wien, Vienna, Austria.https://www.tropentag.de/2016/abstracts/links/Wurzinger_Z2NGUfHg.pdf

Awards
2020-The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)-Strategic Training Awards for Research Skills (STARS)

Research Projects
2013–2019: Junior Scientist: African Goat Improvement Project (Sub-Saharan Africa).
2012: Team Leader: Post-disaster Needs Assessment and Human Recovery and Reconstruction Needs Assessment for World Bank in the Lower Shire.

Referees

1. Professor Timothy N Gondwe, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda Campus, P.O Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi. E-mail: tgondwe@luanar.ac.mw
2. Associate Professor Liveness J Banda, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda Campus, P. O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi. Email: lbanda@luanar.ac.mw
3. Mr Jonathan Tanganyika, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda Campus, P.O Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi, Email: jtanganyika@luanar.ac.mw

Research Interest for: Mr NANDOLO Wilson