A career spent at the intersection of academia, industry, and cutting-edge research has taken Haja Kadarmideen across the globe and deeply into the science of quantitative genetics, animal breeding, multiomics, bioinformatics and systems biology.

Today, as a recent addition to The Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at AU Viborg, he leverages decades of expertise to address complex challenges in animal health, sustainability, climate resilience, and food security—while applying these insights to broader health questions across both animals and humans.

His interest in animals and their health was awakened at a very early age.

Agricultural background

Raised in rural India, a young Haja Kadarmideen grew up in the agricultural world surrounded by fields and farm animals before moving to live in big cities in India.

Although his family used their fields for vegetables and plantations for spice production and only had very few animals, he witnessed firsthand the struggles of local farmers who relied on their livestock for sustenance.

“I remember seeing the impact on families who depended on two or three cows—if one got sick or died, it was devastating,” he says.

Driven by this early connection, he pursued veterinary training, with a passion to improve the lives of farmers and the health of their livestock.

From veterinarian to researcher

After a few years as a practicing veterinarian, his curiosity on why some animals are more susceptible to disease than others propelled him from clinical practice into the research world.

This curiosity led him to pursue a master’s degree in veterinary genetics, and in 1994, he began his PhD in quantitative genetics at the University of Guelph in Canada, also spending time at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Professor Kadarmideen’s research interests have evolved over the years, expanding from traditional genetics to the realm of multi-omics, phenomics, bioinformatics and systems biology.

“Fundamentally, my research is driven by a desire to understand interindividual variation in animals at a very deep level, from their genetic makeup to how they express genes under different conditions across space and time,” he explains.

“This understanding is essential, as it reveals why some animals are more healthy, resilient, efficient, or adaptable — traits that are crucial as we face the environmental changes brought by climate challenges.”

His interdisciplinary approach aligns perfectly with the “One Health” and “Planetary Health” concepts, encompassing human, animal, and environmental health.

The road to Denmark

After a career spanning seven countries and four continents, in 2010 he moved to Denmark to work at the University of Copenhagen. With him he brought his wife and three daughters.  

Here he became a professor of Quantitative Genetics and Systems Biology, quickly establishing himself as a central figure in advancing animal genetics and systems biology research.

During his tenure, he led projects that secured millions in research funding, including high-profile collaborations between Denmark, India, and Brazil. Furthermore, he was in leadership positions at the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark as head of research groups and as head of institute.

His work has made significant impacts in areas such as animal health and welfare, reproductive biology, feed efficiency, and even human obesity research, using pigs as a model.

Strong sense of belonging

Currently, Haja Kadarmideen is only a handshake ceremony away from becoming a Danish citizen. He is excited about solidifying his connection to Denmark, a country that has supported his ambitions and innovations.

“After some 14 years in the country, I feel very much a part of the Danish scientific community and Society,” he says.

This step represents the latest chapter in an impressive career dedicated to bridging the gaps between animal welfare, sustainability, and global health.

The professor feels at home and welcome at AU Viborg.

"Aarhus University has an incredibly welcoming, open-minded community. It's different from other places I've worked, and the sense of belonging is strong. Here, we can collaborate across disciplines, sparking innovation that I believe will have real-world impact."

Many possibilities

In his new role, Haja Kadarmideen is excited to harness Aarhus University’s advanced facilities, which enable a comprehensive approach to research and collaboration.

He’s equally passionate about expanding Aarhus University’s capabilities in in vitro fertilization and artificial reproductive technologies to preserve and boost genetic diversity in livestock.

“Embryo transfer and other reproductive technologies mean we can quickly propagate the best genetic traits—not just through male lines but also through high-merit females. This has game-changing potential for cattle breeding, especially in the face of environmental challenges,” he says.

"Big data"

One of his key focuses is advancing multiomics, phenomics and bioinformatics to analyze massive datasets, or "big data," across individual animals.

With the decreasing cost of genome sequencing, and advances in real time data capture, gathering extensive multi-omics data and combining it with environmental and performance data has become both feasible and crucial.

In the future he envisions utilizing this data to enhance cattle and pigs’ resilience to climate change, as well as to improve their overall productivity, health and welfare.

As a part of his previous work, Haja Kadarmideen was one of the driving factors behind developing the use of human personalized medicine in Denmark – an area that analyses the individual’s genome sequences to predict future disease risks using advanced genomic and bioinformatic analyses.

In the future he hopes to be able to develop precision veterinary medicine, utilizing the same type of genome sequencing and bioinformatics pipelines to develop predictive and diagnostic health measures for companion animals.

Through teaching, research, and industry partnerships, he will continue to address global challenges in animal and veterinary science, blending the latest technologies with a deep understanding of genetics, biology and bioinformatics.