Dr. Salma Faroug Hussain Elzaki | Genetics | Best Scholar Award

Dr. Salma Faroug Hussain Elzaki | Genetics | University of Khartoum | Sudan

Dr Salma Elzaki is an accomplished geneticist and animal science researcher whose work centers on livestock genomics, genetic diversity, adaptation to environmental stressors, and improving production traits in indigenous cattle breeds, particularly Bos indicus (zebu) cattle such as the Sudanese Butana and its crossbreds. Dr Salma Elzaki earned her academic qualifications in animal genetics and breeding, culminating in advanced research training that laid the foundation for her contributions to bovine genomics and complex trait analysis. Her education equips her with expertise in population genetics, molecular markers, and statistical genomics, enabling her to design and implement comprehensive studies on cattle adaptation and performance. Over the course of her professional career, Dr Salma Elzaki has held research and academic positions at institutions including the Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the University of Khartoum’s Faculty of Animal Production, where she has been involved in collaborative projects on genetic diversity, genome analysis, and trait association studies in cattle. In these roles she has led sample collection, phenotypic data acquisition, genomic sequencing work, and statistical analysis to characterize breed-specific genetic architecture under environmental pressures. Dr Salma Elzaki’s research interests revolve around livestock adaptation to heat stress, disease resistance, genetic markers influencing production traits such as milk yield and mastitis susceptibility, and the development of genomic tools for sustainable breeding programs in challenging environments. Her skill set includes high-throughput genotyping, whole-genome sequencing analysis, SNP association studies, bioinformatics pipelines, and interpretation of genomic selection signatures. She has demonstrated proficiency in using molecular and computational techniques to uncover genetic variants and pathways involved in environmental resilience and productive performance in cattle. Dr Salma Elzaki’s work has garnered recognition in the form of peer-reviewed publications and collaborations, and her contributions have helped inform breeding strategies that balance productivity with adaptation to heat and disease pressures. In conclusion, Dr Salma Elzaki’s scholarly achievements and ongoing research underscore her commitment to advancing livestock genetics, particularly in underrepresented indigenous breeds, and reinforcing the role of genomic insights in improving global food security through resilient and productive animal populations.

Academic Profile: ORCID

Featured Publications:

1. Neumann, G. B., Korkuć, P., Rahmatalla, S. A., Reißmann, M., Omer, E. A. M., Elzaki, S., & Brockmann, G. A. (2025). Surviving the Heat: Genetic Diversity and Adaptation in Sudanese Butana Cattle. Genes, 16(12), 1429.

2. Elzaki, S., Korkuć, P., Arends, D., Reissmann, M., & Brockmann, G. A. (2022). Effects of DGAT1 on milk performance in Sudanese Butana × Holstein crossbred cattle. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 54, Article 142.

3. Elzaki, S., Korkuc, P., Arends, D., Reissmann, M., Rahmatalla, S. A., & Brockmann, G. A. (2022). Validation of somatic cell score-associated SNPs from Holstein cattle in Sudanese Butana and Butana × Holstein crossbred cattle. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 54(1), 50. Cited by 4.

4. Elzaki, S., Korkuć, P., & Arends, D. (2021). Design and performance of a bovine 200k SNP chip developed for endangered German Black Pied cattle (DSN). BMC Genomics, 22, 8237.