Pierre Lacasse

Research Scientist

Dr. Pierre Lacasse has obtained a Ph.D. in Animal Science from McGill University in 1993.

In 1994, he did a postdoc at Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre in Hamilton, New Zealand; where he investigated the relationship between mammary gland blood flow and milk production.

Since 1995, he is a research scientist in Biology of lactation for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre in Sherbrooke, Québec. His current research program focus on the biological control of lactation persistency, factors controlling milk synthesis, effect of dairy cow management on productivity and susceptibility to diseases and the development of new tools to fight mastitis.

He is one of the founding member and leaders of the Canadian Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality Research Network.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, Quebec

Current research and/or projects

Dairy cow management for the next generation.
Biological control of lactation persistency.
Improvement of dairy cow resistance to disease.
Prevention of intramammary infection at drying-off by the stimulation mammary gland immunity.
Development of alternative to antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of bovine mastitis.

Professional activities / interests

Theme leader and executive member of the Canadian Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality Research Network.
Theme leader and executive member of OP+Lait, Regroupement québécois pour un lait de qualité optimale.
Éditor for the scientific journal Animal: an international journal of animal bioscience.
Executive and program Committee Member of the NSERC-CREATE on milk quality.

Education and awards

2005 Canadian Society of Animal Science Award for Technical Innovation in Enhancing Production of Safe Affordable Food.
2006 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Bourse pour séjour scientifique de haut niveau.
2019 Canadian Society of Animal Science Fellowship Award.
2020 American Dairy Science Association Zoetis Physiology Award

International experience and/or work

1994-1995 Postdoctoral fellow at Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.

2006-2007 Visiting scientist at INRA, St-Gilles, France.

Key publications

Tong, J.J., Thompson, I.M., Zhao, X., Lacasse, P. (2018). Effect of 17β-estradiol on milk production, hormone secretion, and mammary gland gene expression in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 101(3), 2588-2601. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-13353
2018 - View publication details
Tong, J.J., Thompson, I.M., Zhao, X., Lacasse, P. (2018). Effect of the concentration of circulating prolactin on dairy cows' responsiveness to domperidone injection. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 101(3), 2579-2587. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-13828
2018 - View publication details
Lacasse, P., Vanacker, N., Ollier, S., Ster, C. (2018). Innovative dairy cow management to improve resistance to metabolic and infectious diseases during the transition period, 116 40-46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.06.020
2018 - View publication details
Confidential report
2018 - View publication details
Francoz, D., Wellemans, V., Dupré, J.P., Roy, J.P., Labelle, F., Lacasse, P., Dufour, S. (2017). Invited review: A systematic review and qualitative analysis of treatments other than conventional antimicrobials for clinical mastitis in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 100(10), 7751-7770. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-12512
2017 - View publication details
Ponchon, B., Lacasse, P., Ollier, S., Zhao, X. (2017). Effects of photoperiod modulation and melatonin feeding around drying-off on bovine mammary gland involution. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 100(10), 8496-8506. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-12272
2017 - View publication details
Vanacker, N., Ollier, S., Beaudoin, F., Blouin, R., Lacasse, P. (2017). Effect of inhibiting the lactogenic signal at calving on milk production and metabolic and immune perturbations in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 100(7), 5782-5791. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-12570
2017 - View publication details
Asli, A., Brouillette, E., Ster, C., Ghinet, M.G., Brzezinski, R., Lacasse, P., Jacques, M., Malouin, F. (2017). Antibiofilm and antibacterial effects of specific chitosan molecules on Staphylococcus aureus isolates associated with bovine mastitis. PLoS ONE, [online] 12(5), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176988
2017 - View publication details
Lanctôt, S., Fustier, P., Taherian, A.R., Bisakowski, B., Zhao, X., Lacasse, P. (2017). Effect of intramammary infusion of chitosan hydrogels at drying-off on bovine mammary gland involution. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 100(3), 2269-2281. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-12087
2017 - View publication details
Do, D.N., Bissonnette, N., Lacasse, P., Miglior, F., Sargolzaei, M., Zhao, X., Ibeagha-Awemu, E.M. (2017). Genome-wide association analysis and pathways enrichment for lactation persistency in Canadian Holstein cattle. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 100(3), 1955-1970. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-11910
2017 - View publication details
Ponchon, B., Zhao, X., Ollier, S., Lacasse, P. (2017). Relationship between glucocorticoids and prolactin during mammary gland stimulation in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 100(2), 1521-1534. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-11490
2017 - View publication details
Taherian, A.R., Lacasse, P., Bisakowski, B., Pelletier, M., Lanctôt, S., Fustier, P. (2017). Rheological and thermogelling properties of commercials chitosan/β-glycerophosphate: Retention of hydrogel in water, milk and UF-milk. Food Hydrocolloids, [online] 63 635-645. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.09.031
2017 - View publication details
Do, D.N., Bissonnette, N., Lacasse, P., Miglior, F., Sargolzaei, M., Zhao, X., and Ibeagha-Awemu, E.M. (2016). "Genome wide association analysis and pathways enrichment for lactation persistency in Canadian Holstein cattle.", Journal of Animal Science, 94(Supp. 2). (Abstract)
2016 - View publication details
Ollier, S., Beaudoin, F., Vanacker, N., Lacasse, P. (2016). Effect of reducing milk production using a prolactin-release inhibitor or a glucocorticoid on metabolism and immune functions in cows subjected to acute nutritional stress. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 99(12), 9949-9961. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-11711
2016 - View publication details
Francoz, D., Wellemans, V., Roy, J.-P., Lacasse, P., Ordonez-Iturriaga, A., Labelle, F., Dufour, S. (2016). Non-Antibiotic approaches at drying-off for treating and preventing intramammary infections: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-Analysis, 17(2), 169-175. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1466252316000177
2016 - View publication details
Lacasse, P., Ollier, S., Lollivier, V., Boutinaud, M. (2016). New insights into the importance of prolactin in dairy ruminants. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 99(1), 864-874. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-10035
2016 - View publication details
Lollivier, V., Lacasse, P., Angulo Arizala, J., Lamberton, P., Wiart, S., Portanguen, J., Bruckmaier, R., Boutinaud, M. (2015). In vivo inhibition followed by exogenous supplementation demonstrates galactopoietic effects of prolactin on mammary tissue and milk production in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 98(12), 8775-8787. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-9853
2015 - View publication details
Lacasse, P., Ollier, S. (2015). The dopamine antagonist domperidone increases prolactin concentration and enhances milk production in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 98(11), 7856-7864. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-9865
2015 - View publication details
Ollier, S., Zhao, X., Lacasse, P. (2015). Effects of feed restriction and prolactin-release inhibition at drying-off on susceptibility to new intramammary infection in cows. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 98(1), 221-228. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2014-8426
2015 - View publication details
Veh, K.A., Klein, R.C., Ster, C., Keefe, G., Lacasse, P., Scholl, D., Roy, J.P., Haine, D., Dufour, S., Talbot, B.G., Ribon, A.O.B., Malouin, F. (2015). Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of Staphylococcus aureus causing persistent and nonpersistent subclinical bovine intramammary infections during lactation or the dry period. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 98(1), 155-168. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2014-8044
2015 - View publication details