Professor Jon Hickford has been working at Lincoln University since 1989, teaching in science and agriculture degree programs in the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University. He obtained his BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Canterbury, Lincoln College and his PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Otago. He is also a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand (CRSNZ) and a Fellow and Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science (FNZIAHS/HFNZIAHS). He undertakes research in molecular genetics with an emphasis on using gene-marker technology to breed healthier livestock.