Erling Strandberg

My research mainly concerns the genetics of behavior in dogs, dairy cattle and horse genetics and some studies related to developing countries.

I am mainly teaching in the course Animal Genetics - Health, behaviour and welfare and in our introductory breeding courses. 

I have been involved in several projects that have been aimed at quantifying the amount of genetic variation (and covariation) in various types of traits in various species. The traits studied have been fertility, health, behavior, maternal ability, performance or production, and longevity; and mainly in the species dairy cattle, horses, and dogs. I'm involved in several collaborative projects with, e.g.,  VikingGenetics and Växa (regarding dairy cattle) and the Swedish Kennel Club.

• Professor in animal breeding and genetics, SLU, 2003
• Associate professor (Docent) SLU, 1997
• PhD in Animal Breeding (AgrD) SLU, 1991
• Master of Science (Dairy Science) Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, 1983
• Master of Science in Agriculture (Animal Science) SLU, 1982

Currently I am working with the following PhD-student projects:

• Genomic evaluation of South American camelids from Bolivia 
• Selection strategies in Swedish Warmblood horses - Sandra Bonow
• Improved breeding program for trotting horses in Sweden - Paulina Berglund
• More meat on the bone when selecting beef bulls to cross with dairy cows - Victoria Ekenberg

Recently finished PhD-student projects

• Studies of pregnancy loss in dairy cattle - Patricia Gullstrand
• Use of cow genotyping to improve genetic progress, farm profit and food production in Sweden (industry PhD student Christian Bengtsson, VikingGenetics)
• Individually adapted lactation lengths in dairy cattle - Anna Edvardsson Rasmussen, PhD student at dept of animal nutrition and management
• Crossbreeding in dairy cattle: novel breeding tools for sustainable dairy and beef production - Julie Brastrup Clasen
• Phenotypic and genetic characterization, conservation and breeding programs of Creole cattle in Cochabamba and Tarija (Bolivia) - Gabriela Bottani
• Comparison of the performance traits between indigenous cattle and its crossbreds in Rwanda- Maximillian Manzi
• International breeding programs to improve health in pedigree dogs - Shizhi Wang

Dogs and horses

• Berglund, P., Andonov, S., Jansson, A., Olsson, C., Lundqvist, T., Strandberg, E. & Eriksson, S. 2025. The ability to race barefoot is a heritable trait in Standardbred and Coldblooded trotters Genetics Selection Evolution

• Nordang Kieler, Ida, Sofia Malm Persson, Ragnvi Hagman, Voichita D. Marinescu, Åke Hedhammar, Erling Strandberg, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, and Maja Louise Arendt. 2024. Genome wide association study in Swedish Labrador retrievers identifies genetic loci associated with hip dysplasia and body weight. Scientfic Reports 14, 6090 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56060-y

• Bonow, S., Eriksson, S., Strandberg, E., Thorén Hellsten, E. & Gelinder Viksten, Å. 2024. Relationship between descriptive linearly scored traits and sport performance in the Swedish Warmblood horse population. Livestock Science 282 (2024) 105438

• Berglund, P., Andonov, S., Strandberg, E. & Eriksson, S. 2023. Should performance at different race lengths be treated as genetically distinct traits in Coldblooded trotters? J. Animal Breeding and Genetics 141:220–234. DOI: 10.1111/jbg.12837

• Strandberg, E. Linda Andersson, Ulf Emanuelson, Charlotte Reinhard Bjørnvad, Sara Ringmark, Åke Hedhammar, and Katja Höglund. 2023. Heritability and Genetic Trend of Body Weight in Dogs of Different Breeds in Sweden. J Anim Sci 101:skad173. doi: 10.1093/jas/skad173

Dairy Cattle

• Bengtsson, C., Stålhammar, H., Thomasen, J.R., Eriksson, S., Fikse, W.F., Strandberg, E. 2025. Simulation of long-term impact of dairy cattle mating programs using genomic information at the herd level. Animal (acc)
• Espinola Alfonso, R.E., Fikse, W.F., Calus, M. & Strandberg, E. 2024. How does a beef x dairy calving affect the dairy cow’s following lactation? J Dairy Sci. 107:  https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-24170
• Ask-Gullstrand, P., Strandberg, E., Båge, R. & Berglund, B. 2024. Effect of genetic defects on pregnancy loss in Swedish dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 107: 2999-3005
• Ask-Gullstrand, P., E. Strandberg, R. Båge and B. Berglund. 2023. Genetic parameters of pregnancy loss in dairy cows estimated from pregnancy-associated glycoproteins in milk. J. Dairy Sci. 106:6316-6324. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-23007
• Eriksson, S., A.M. Johansson and E. Strandberg. 2023. Changes in genomic inbreeding and diversity over half a century in Swedish Red and Swedish Holstein dairy cattle. J. Animal Breeding and Genetics 140(3):295-303.  doi: 10.1111/jbg.12758
• Edvardsson-Rasmussen, A., Holtenius, K., Båge, R., Strandberg, E., Åkerlind, M. & Kronqvist, Cecilia, 2023. A randomized study on the effect of extended voluntary waiting period in primiparous dairy cows on milk yield during first and second lactation. J Dairy Sci 106(4):2510-2518. doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-22773
• Edvardsson-Rasmussen, A., Båge, R., Holtenius, K., Strandberg, E., von Brömssen, C.,  Åkerlind, M. & Kronqvist, Cecilia, 2023. A randomized study on the effect of an extended voluntary waiting period in primiparous dairy cows on fertility, health and culling during first and second lactation. J. Dairy Sci. 106:8897-8909 https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-23470
• Bengtsson C, Stålhammar H, Thomasen JR, Fikse WF, Strandberg E, Eriksson S. Mating allocations in Holstein combining genomic information and linear programming optimization at the herd level. J Dairy Sci.106(5):3359-3375. doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-22926.