Kristen Edwards
Assistant Professor
BScH, DVM, PhD (Guelph)
kedwar01@uoguelph.ca
Profile
Dr. Kristen Edwards is an assistant professor and veterinary epidemiologist in the Department of Population Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. A three-time graduate of the University of Guelph, she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 2014 and went on to work in private practice as a cattle veterinarian for over a decade—first in the United States, and later in Tavistock, Ontario, after returning to Canada in 2016. Driven by a deep commitment to calf health and sustainable cattle production, Edwards pursued a PhD in epidemiology at the University of Guelph. Her doctoral research focused on the factors that influence the success of dairy calves during the critical preweaning and periweaning periods. Drawing on both her clinical background and academic training, she brings a practical and data-informed approach to research and teaching in food animal health.
Research Interests
Edwards’s research program aims to improve the health and welfare of calves in dairy, beef, and dairy-beef production systems. She is particularly focused on identifying strategies to mitigate disease through nutrition, management and the application of emerging technologies. Her work emphasizes practical interventions that can be implemented on farms to improve calf survivability, performance and long-term productivity.
Teaching
Beef Health Management I
Beef Health Management III
4th Year Beef Rotation
Selected Publications
Edwards, K. Y., Abuelo, A., LeBlanc, S. J., DeVries, T. J., Steele, M. A., Costa, J. H. C., & Renaud, D. L. (2025). Understanding barriers to veterinary involvement in dairy calf health management. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 12, 1503915. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1503915
Edwards, K. Y., & Renaud, D. L. (2025). A framework for comprehensive dairy calf health investigations. Animals, 15, 181. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15020181
Edwards, K. Y., Bell, S. M., LeBlanc, S. J., DeVries, T. J., Steele, M. A., Costa, J. H. C., & Renaud, D. L. (2024). Evaluation of bovine colostrum replacer supplementation to improve weaning transition in Holstein dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science, 107, 6330–6339. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-24498
Edwards, K. Y., LeBlanc, S. J., DeVries, T. J., Steele, M. A., Costa, J. H. C., & Renaud, D. L. (2024). Barriers to recording calf health data on dairy farms in Ontario. Journal of Dairy Science Communications, 5, 42–46. https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2023-0398
