The award was introduced in 2019 to recognize innovative young scientists in honor of an industry great.
Dinah Nicholson (left) congratulates 2022 Nick French award winner.
EDINBURGH, Scotland. – Aviagen recently honored Ir. Matthias Corion with the 2022 Nick French Award. Matthias is a PhD student in the Department of Biosystems at the University of Leuven in Belgium, and this is his second year to take home the award.
Winning research presentations are selected by the Committee of the Incubation and Fertility Research Group (IFRG) of the World Poultry Science Association (WPSA). Matthias’s presentation was entitled, “Determining the fertility and the sex of chicken hatching eggs using a new volatile organic compound extraction approach” with a goal of accurate sex identification in ovo.
“We congratulate Matthias on this prestigious accomplishment, and are very impressed with his passion and drive to improve our understanding of the science underlying a very new approach to understanding embryo development,” said Dinah Nicholson, Global Head of Hatchery Service and Support. “Aviagen is committed to supporting our next generation of poultry industry talent – they are the future of our industry and we must encourage and support them.”
“I feel honored and humbled to accept the Nick French award for the second time,” remarked Matthias. “My aspiration is that my research will contribute to strengthening the ability of our industry to feed the world, while protecting animal welfare and the environment.”
Ampai Nangsuay, President IFRG, concluded: “We are proud of Matthias and impressed with the depth of his research and its potential to greatly benefit the industry. The WPSA shares with Aviagen a dedication to research that promotes the industry’s mission to help end hunger and advance the health and wellbeing of people around the world. This award plays a role in that mission by encouraging bright young scientists with passion and vision.”
Honoring a poultry hero
Aviagen started the award in 2019 in honor of retired Global Head of Technical Transfer Nick French and his lifelong contribution to the industry, and to hatchery and incubation research in particular. Each year the IFRG chooses the best among presentations by young poultry research scientists.