Part 1 Animal health
1.Diseases affecting pigs: an overview of common bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens of pigs: Alejandro Ramirez, Iowa State University, USA;
2.Changing patterns of disease affecting pigs: Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED): Carla Correia-Gomes, Scotland’s Rural College, UK;
3.The influence of gut microbiome on developing immune and metabolic systems in the young pig: Mick Bailey, Emily Porter and Ore Francis, University of Bristol, UK;
4.Disease identification and management on the pig farm: Dominiek Maes, Jeroen Dewulf, Filip Boyen and Freddy Haesebrouck, Ghent University, Belgium;
Part 2 Welfare issues
5.Understanding pig behaviour: Simon P. Turner and Richard B. D’Eath, Scotland’s Rural College, UK;
6.Defining and ensuring animal welfare in pig production: an overview: Paul H. Hemsworth, University of Melbourne, Australia;
7.Pasture systems for pigs: Silvana Pietrosemoli and James T. Green, North Carolina State University, USA;
8.Welfare of gilts and pregnant sows: Sandra Edwards, Newcastle University, UK;
9.Welfare of weaned piglets: Arlene Garcia and John J. Mc Glone, Texas Tech University, USA;
10.Welfare of pigs during finishing: Jonathan Amory, Writtle College, UK; and Nina Wainwright, British Pig Executive (BPEX), UK;
11.Transport and lairage of pigs: Jennifer M. Young, North Dakota State University, USA;
12.Humane slaughter techniques for pigs: Susanne Støier, Leif Lykke and Lars O. Blaabjerg, Danish Meat Research Institute – Danish Technological Institute, Denmark;

Dr Sandra Edwards is Emerita Professor in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University, UK. Professor Edwards is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on pig welfare with over 200 publications in the field. She has won numerous awards, including from organisations such as UFAW, EAAP, RSPCA and BSAS. She is a former President of the British Society of Animal Science, a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, as well as a former member of the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council and the Animal Health and Welfare Panel of the European Food Safety Agency.