SRUC data science expert joins inaugural Research Leadership cohort
An SRUC scientist is among the inaugural cohort of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Research Leadership Scheme.
Dr Mazdak Salavati, Reader in Data Science, is one of 13 of Scotland’s most promising academics representing 11 Higher Education Institutions across the country. The scheme is funded by the RSE Foundation and Caledonian Research Fund.
Aimed at supporting Scotland’s next generation of research leaders, the new scheme “will equip participants with the skills to lead major interdisciplinary research bids that address critical scientific and societal challenges”.
Dr Salavati is a cross-disciplinary scientist with a research career in academia which spans across Reproductive Biology, Genomics and Bioinformatics.
He has contributed to major international projects that have developed large-scale ruminant genomic reference annotations and advancing phenomics research on metabolic health, fertility, and disease resistance in cattle and small ruminants.
More recently he has expanded into digital phenotyping and AgriTech innovation, focusing on open-source digital twins for dairy farms and data-driven milk supply-chain optimization aimed at achieving net zero emissions.
He leads the data pillar's programme at the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and health (2022-2027) and plays a key role in the UKRI SIPF-funded Digital Dairy Chain project, leading the digital transformation efforts and the digital twin component of the Dairy Nexus project (2024- present) at the Dairy Research & Innovation Centre.
Dr Salavati said: “This scheme offers invaluable training, funding support and mentorship to help me build my research portfolio in livestock informatics within Scotland's green agricultural future. It's an absolute privilege to be given this chance by SRUC and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.”
As part of a two-year pilot, the scheme will provide two small cohorts with structured support to build confidence, skills, and leadership capacity through a mixture of mentoring, seed-corn funding, training, and peer learning.
The first cohort, who represent a variety of disciplines, from geography to molecular crop science and public art and design to sustainable development, will work collaboratively around the theme of Building Scotland’s Green Future.
Professor Anne Anderson, RSE Vice President, Research, said: “The strength of Scotland’s research sector depends on nurturing talented people, and empowering them to lead with confidence, creativity, and ambition. This new scheme is an important investment in that future. By bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines and supporting them to collaborate on some of the most pressing challenges of our time, the RSE hopes to help build the leadership capacity our country needs. I am delighted to see such an exceptional first cohort embark on this journey, and I look forward to following the positive impact they will undoubtedly make.”
Posted by SRUC on 24/04/2026
