Frida Åkerström

PhD student, Department of Biosystems and Technology

E-mail

I am a PhD student affiliated with SLU Alnarp, although I live north of Stockholm. I am conducting my research at 50% while working 50% as a veterinarian at the Research & Development department at Växa.

Presentation

I completed my veterinary degree at SLU Ultuna in 2008 and after graduation, I worked for 10 years in large animal practice. 2017 I joined Växa’s Research & Development department focusing on hoof health. Since starting at Växa, all my work has revolved around hoof health in cattle in all possible ways, and thanks to a very successful collaboration with SLU, I had the privilege of starting as a PhD student in 2021.

Research

My thesis focuses on optimizing hoof trimming to promote optimal hoof health and survival in dairy cattle. The project aims to address key questions, including:

What is the optimal frequency for hoof trimming?
Are there specific stages of lactation when hoof trimming is most beneficial?
What constitutes the ideal shape of the claw after trimming, and how should different flooring conditions influence hoof trimming?

Research projects

My PhD project is part of this project.