ParaBoss Technical Committee

The ParaBoss Technical Committee ensures the content provided to industry is independent, proven and practical.

Function, Role and Membership of the ParaBoss Technical Committee

The ParaBoss Technical Committee, which operates as an advisory body to the ParaBoss Project Committee, represents the livestock industries, and operates in the interests of producers and their livestock. In doing so, the ParaBoss Technical Committee has primary responsibility to producers, providing technical input to the ParaBoss Project Committee on behalf of the sheep, goat, and beef cattle industries of Australia.

In its capacity as an advisory body to the ParaBoss Project Committee, the Technical Committee:

1. Reviews technical accuracy of existing and new ParaBoss information, content, tools, and programs.
2. Identifies emerging issues and extension needs for inclusion in communication or extension programs, on the basis of new technical information and industry trends.
3. Facilitates engagement with the broader sheep, goat, and cattle parasite technical community.

Name and Title	Bio
Brown Besier BVSc, PhD	Brown graduated BVSc from the University of Queensland in 1973 and joined the Western Australian Department of Agriculture as a field veterinary officer. He specialised in parasitology in 1980, with a PhD in Barbers Pole worm from Murdoch University in 1992. Leader of parasitology research and extension in the WA Department for 30 years and the national Sheep Cooperative Research Centres for over 10 years, now a self-employed consultant and Adjunct Associate Professor at Murdoch University. Brown’s major interests are the biology and control of parasites of livestock, anthelmintic resistance, and communication of parasite control information.
Peter James B.Ag.Sc., MPM, Dip Ed. PhD	Peter’s main area of interest is in new technologies and integrated approaches to the control of pests and parasites associated with domestic livestock species. He has worked with ectoparasites and nuisance insects associated with most of Australia’s major livestock industries and regularly provides consultancy to industry and veterinary pharmaceutical companies in this area. Peter’s involvement with research and extension on sheep ectoparasites extends over more than 30 years and covers parasites of both the northern and southern industries. Formally at SARDI and the Roseworthy Campus of University of Adelaide in SA and Leader of the Integrated Parasite Management Group at DAF Queensland, he is currently a Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland.
Ali Raza DVM, PhD	Ali graduated Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan in 2009, and joined the Department of Clinical Medicine as a Lecturer. He completed his PhD in Veterinary Parasitology on anthelmintic resistance mechanisms and reversion of resistance in Barbers Pole worm from the University of Queensland in 2017. After acting as a Team Leader in the Parasitology section at Queensland Biosecurity and Animal Welfare laboratories, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ali is currently working as a Senior Research Officer at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland. Ali was the Queensland State representative for the Australian Society for Parasitology from 2019-2022. His primary areas of interest are investigating novel means of controlling worms and ectoparasites in ruminants through detecting anthelmintic resistance, anthelmintic drug discovery, and the discovery of biomarkers for host resistance as well immune resilience to parasites.
David Homer BVSc (Hons I) PG Dip.(Macq)	David worked in veterinary practice in Australia, UK and Papua New Guinea after graduating from the University of Sydney in 1985 with a Veterinary Science degree with first class honours.  After returning to Australia David joined industry (Arthur Websters Pty Ltd) and over the subsequent 34 years has been engaged in the full range of animal health roles from research to technical support, with the predominant focus being parasitology and vaccinology.   David is currently managing animal health training for the Nutrien Ag Solutions network after a 5-year stint as the Global Technical Director for Ruminants for Merial/Boehringer Ingelheim.
Matthew Playford BVSc (Hons), DipVCS, DVMSc, MANZCVS (ParaBoss Technical Lead for AHA)	Matt is a veterinarian who grew up in Cowra, New South Wales and developed a love for livestock management and medicine working on mixed properties. He was an exchange student in Japan and after graduating from the University of Sydney, he worked in cattle and sheep reproduction and clinical practice before doing his PhD in parasitology at Hokkaido University. He then worked at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo before returning to Australia to be manager of the Univ of Queensland livestock teaching practice in Kenilworth, QLD and later research and technical manager at pharmaceutical company Intervet.   Matt has been a veterinary consultant for 17 years and is the director of Dawbuts Pty Ltd, a company that runs a parasitology laboratory and conducts research on behalf of the livestock industries.
Deb Maxwell (UNE ParaBoss Advisor) BVSc, GDipEd, GCRurSysMan	After initial work as a veterinarian (UQ ’85) in a mixed veterinary practice and then teaching, Deb started a career in sheep extension in 1992. Deb managed DPI Qld’s state-wide sheep and wool projects then became the Sheep CRC I Communication and Extension Program Leader. In Sheep CRC II Deb further developed WormBoss, FlyBoss and LiceBoss. In 2014, post-CRC, ParaBoss was formed with Deb as ParaBoss Operations Manager, then Executive Officer from 2018 to mid-2021. Deb now manages ParaBoss Advisor Training from UNE and continues to run her superfine Merino sheep stud established in 1996.   Deb has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Graduate Diploma in Education (Teaching), Graduate Certificate in Rural Systems Management (Extension) and an Advanced Certificate in Sheep and Wool Technology (Woolclassing).