Om Dhungyel

Om Dhungyel is an Honorary Associate Professor in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science within the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney. He earned his BVSc&AH from Kerala Agricultural University in India in 1984, an MSc in Veterinary Science specializing in Animal Breeding and Genetics from the University of Sydney in 1992 funded by an FAO International Fellowship, and a PhD in 2002. Following his undergraduate studies, he served as a Regional and Zonal Veterinary Officer in Bhutan for five years. He then worked as a Research Fellow on an ACIAR-funded project in Nepal, where he developed a recombinant DNA footrot vaccine that successfully controlled and eliminated endemic footrot. His career includes footrot research collaborations in Bhutan, India, China, and Malaysia. At the University of Sydney, he has been a key leader of the footrot research team, teaching sheep health to Animal Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students, and supervising PhD students. He holds a vaccine patent for the University on footrot and received the Sydney School of Veterinary Science Research Excellence Award.

Dhungyel's research focuses on applied animal health, particularly footrot in sheep and goats caused by Dichelobacter nodosus. His work encompasses serogroup classification using multiplex qPCR, virulence testing via elastase assays, vaccine efficacy including bivalent fimbrial and serogroup-specific vaccines, farmer perceptions of disease management, hoof conformation influences on susceptibility, and lesion microbiomes. Key publications include 'Rapid serogroup classification of the footrot pathogen Dichelobacter nodosus using multiplex qPCR of lesion samples from sheep in the Netherlands' (2026), 'Perceptions of Sheep Farmers and District Veterinarians towards Sheep Disease Management in New South Wales, Australia' (2024), 'The virulence of Dichelobacter nodosus, measured by the elastase test, is an important predictor for virulent footrot diagnosis in New South Wales sheep flocks' (2023), 'Efficacy of bivalent fimbrial vaccines to control and eliminate intermediate forms of footrot in sheep' (2021), and 'The severity of footrot lesions induced by aprV2-positive strains of Dichelobacter nodosus varies between strains' (2021). He has authored 81 publications with over 1,400 citations. Dhungyel serves on the NSW Footrot Technical Advisory Committee and reviews for journals such as Vaccine, PLOS One, and Australian Veterinary Journal. His contributions have advanced footrot control strategies through industry partnerships with Meat & Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation.

Professional Email: om.dhungyel@sydney.edu.au