Neila Ben Sassi Position/Title: Post Doctoral Fellow email: nbensass@uoguelph.ca Phone: (519) 824-4120 ext. 54572 Office: Room 139 Research Gate LinkedIn

Neila Ben Sassi is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Harlander's lab. After finishing her agriculture engineering degree at the National Agroomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT), she started an International Master in Genetic Improvement and Reproduction Biotechnology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain. This master was an opportunity for her to experiment research and work on her own research topic at the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Reseach and Technology (INIA), Spain where she developped skills on coding on big data bases in dairy cows productivity improvement. She completed her PhD in Neiker Tecnalia, Spain  with Prof. Inma Estevez and Dr. Xavier Averos, where she focused on the strength and reliability of a welfare assessment method in commercial broiler chickens called the Transect Method. Shortly after completing her PhD, Neila Ben Sassi joined Dr. Harlander's lab to work on the biomechanics and physiology of locomotion and the effect of musculoskeletal fitness upon keel bone damage. This reseach aims at providing more insights on the mechanisms behind keel bone fractures and deviations to reduce the incidence of such welfare issue and facilitate a smooth transition to alternative housing in commercial farms.