Our Trainers

Dr. David (Dave) MorrisBVSC

Cattle veterinarian and reproductive specialist

Dave is an Australian cattle veterinarian and reproductive specialist based in the Bass Valley at Loch, Victoria and operates Bass Valley Embryo Services. He is an approved team veterinarian for bovine embryo collection and export-accredited services across Victoria and Tasmania.

Career background

• Focuses on cattle reproduction, including beef and dairy breeds.
• Specializes in embryo collection, freezing, and transfer (ET).
• Provides artificial insemination (AI), fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI), and pregnancy testing.
• Operates under accredited standards for OIE and European Union (EU) bovine embryo processing.
• Works closely with stud beef and dairy breeders on genetic flushing and breeding programs.
• Authorized collection team veterinarian under official international trade and biosecurity regulatory frameworks
• Dave has work internationally over the years
• He has been involved in livestock research

John Maher

Artificial insemination trainer

John Maher is an industry-recognised expert known for conducting specialised Artificial Insemination courses for livestock. He specializes in bovine artificial reproduction, herd improvement, and cattle genetics.

Career background

• John completed a DIY course in 1985.
• This opportunity allowed him to actively pursue a career in Artificial Breeding and Ultrasound and manual palpation pregnancy diagnosis in cattle.
• Completed further training in Texas USA in 1999. April 1994 commenced work with Warnett A.B in Northern Victoria.
• He continued working and traveling extensively across Victoria with Beef and Dairying synchronisation programs and pregnancy testing.
• In 1998 John commenced conducting training courses and has continued to this day.
• Beyond day-to-day breeding services, John is recognized for his leadership role in education and industry compliance. He has collaborated directly with peak industry bodies like Holstein Australia to produce educational resources outlining the All-Dairy Breeds Show Ring Code of Ethics, teaching producers how to maintain compliance and identify major ethical violations in the sector

Sue Thompson

Laboratory Manager and Embryologist

Sue is an Australian veterinary science professional and specialized embryologist based in Victoria, who currently serves as a Laboratory Manager and Embryologist. Her career spans clinical veterinary assistance, laboratory operations, and advanced livestock reproductive technologies across regional Victoria:

Career background

• Since October 2020, Sue has worked as the Laboratory Manager and Embryologist for Advanced Reproduction, Kyabram, Victoria. The company specializes in artificial breeding services, embryology, and advanced reproductive technologies for livestock.
• Sue has been involved in the Bovine IVF Industry since 2002 and prior to her current role, she applied her embryology skills at two other IVF Companies in both Australia and New Zealnd, which focused heavily on bovine (cattle) in vitro embryo production, helping producers accelerate genetic gain through advanced IVF technologies.
• Her career includes foundational hands-on clinical experience in regional animal veterinary hospitals and triage services, for 14 years
• Processing, evaluating, and managing animal embryos for commercial breeding programs
• Tutoring and assisting in the training of students carrying out their Masters of Clinical Embryology

Dr. Mulyoto Pangestu

Reproductive scientist, researcher and lecturer

Mulyoto is a reproductive scientist, researcher, and lecturer in the Education Program in Reproduction and Development at Monash University. He is best known for his award-winning work in reproductive technology, sperm dry storage, and assisting with IVF clinic development in Australia and overseas.

Career background

• Earned a bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry from Universitas Jenderal Soedirman in Indonesia.
• Completed a Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne, followed by a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Reproductive Science at Monash University.

Key research and achievements

• Developed a low-cost, breakthrough method for storing sperm using simple items like plastic straws and aluminium foil instead of expensive liquid nitrogen.
• Won a Gold Award at the Asia-Pacific Young Inventors in 2000 for his evaporative and dry-storage sperm research.
• Serves as a lecturer and consultant connecting Australian methodologies with Indonesian universities and fertility clinics.

Ian Hunter

Dairy farmer and semen collection specialist

Ian has spent more than fifty years in dairy farming and cattle breeding across northern Victoria. He worked as a licensed inseminator, then as a semen collector and laboratory technician, before setting up his own licensed bull farm and custom collecting bulls around Australia.

Career background

• Began dairy farming at Echuca West in 1969.
• Started work as a licensed inseminator with Rochester Herd Improvement in 1972.
• Moved to dairy farming at Bamawm in 1981.
• Joined Elders Breeding Service in 1984 as semen collector and laboratory technician, and stayed until the business was bought out by RAB.
• Set up his own licensed bull farm, running up to 80 bulls at the centre.
• Custom collected bulls on properties around Australia.

Robert Yelland

Animal reproduction specialist

Rob specializes in animal reproduction through Advanced Reproduction, Kyabram Victoria. He has been involved in the animal breeding industry all his life.

Career background

• Rob performs In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (MOET)
• He carries out semen collection and processing offering on-farm semen collection and processing for cattle and has carried out this work in sheep and goats
• Rob has collected semen and embryos for export and carried out work internationally
• Provides artificial insemination (AI), fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI), and pregnancy testing.
• He has been involved in and collaborated in research, in reproduction projects with national and international research organisations
• Has carried out reproductive training nationally and internationally

Donald (Don) Saywell

Agricultural and animal science researcher

Don is a New Zealand agricultural and animal science researcher. He primarily contributed to studies in the late 1980s and 1990s through government-backed scientific institutions.

Career background

• Don's work focused on animal biology, specifically the physiological mechanisms governing wool, fur, and fibre growth cycles.
• Analysed the specific impacts of pasture allowance and nutritional status on the seasonal fibre growth and medullated fibre production of Angora goats
• Don expanded his reproductive biology and livestock research from cellular growth into advanced in vitro embryo production (IVP) and In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) during the late 1990s
• Working across commercial biotech partnerships and agricultural institutes, his contributions bridged the gap between lab-based embryology and commercial livestock applications in New Zealand and Australia.
• Don has had vast experience training staff in all aspects of Bovine IVF Embryo Production, for over 25 years in Australia and New Zealand
• Don was part of the pioneering trans-Tasman scientific efforts to adapt advanced bovine IVF culture systems to other high-value commercial livestock
• He was a co-investigator on breakthrough studies proving that pregnancies could be successfully established from frozen, in vitro-produced (IVF) embryos using direct-thaw, trans-cervical transfers
• He co-authored research featured by the International Embryo Technology Society (IETS) validating Synthetic Oviduct Fluid (SOF) formulations. These mediums optimized blastocyst and embryo development rates from cleaved zygotes in high-performance labs