Asst. Prof. Ioannis Arsenakis graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2010. He then received a scholarship to continue his studies at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies of Edinburgh University and graduated with Distinction from the M.Sc. in Animal Biosciences in 2012. He continued working as a swine and poultry veterinarian in the Republic of Ireland for one of the biggest farm animal veterinary practices in Europe, until April 2013. From August 2013 and until October 2018, he continued working as a swine veterinarian for the Unit of Porcine Health Management at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University (Belgium). During this period, and while working for the same Unit he also completed his PhD studies, which focused on the different vaccination protocols with bacterins as a means to control Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections in peri-weaned and fattening pigs. From July 2018 and until 2021 he worked as a swine veterinarian for ‘Tulip Ltd.-Pilgrims UK’. He was responsible for more than 32 farms, together with the experimental farm (FBF Facons) of the company, which is one of the most important experimental units for swine in the United Kingdom. He was also one of the veterinarians responsible for designing and running the Health Management Plans for the swine livestock kept by the company.

He has 14 published papers in international and peer reviewed Journals, in which 6 out of 14 is the first author. He also has 22 published peer-reviewed abstracts in international congresses, in which 14 out of 22 is the first author. In total, he has participated in 16 research programs funded by several companies, European consortiums, and the Flemish Association of Pig Farmers.
His research work is focused on the translational/applied research that aims to improve the health, the productivity and the welfare of pigs, with an emphasis on translational physiology. He has conducted research about improving the efficacy of the vaccines against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, which is the main etiological agent of enzootic pneumonia in pigs. In this context, he studied the role of T-lymphocytes in the evolution of respiratory disease in pigs, but also the differences in the immune and pro-inflammatory responses detected between vaccinated and unvaccinated pigs in farms endemically infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. He has also studied the use of autogenous vaccines in sows for the control of exudative epidermitis in their progeny during the nursery phase, and also, the fertility of the boars in relation to the carcass quality parameters that can pass over to their progeny. He has also conducted studies that concern the use of different feed additives and their effect on the health and the productivity of the fattening pigs, as well as the supplementation of different levels of iron (ferrous sulphate) through the feed for the prevention of iron deficiency anaemia. Additionally, the supplementation of pig diets with the enzyme of b-mannanase for the better metabolism of corn in fattening pigs. Finally, he has conducted thousands of welfare assessments at pig farms, for the official audits concerning sows and fattening pigs in the context of farm assurance schemes for the accreditation of pork abiding with the highest welfare standards.

Papakonstantinou, G., Arsenakis, I., Pourlis, A., & Papatsiros, V. (2023). Animal Health and Productivity of Organic Greek Pig Farms: the current situation and prospects for sustainability. Animals 13 (18), 2834

Arsenakis, I., Boyen, F., Haesebrouck, F., & Maes, D. (2018). Autogenous vaccination reduces antimicrobial usage and mortality rates in a herd facing severe exudative epidermitis outbreaks in weaned pigs. Veterinary Record doi: 10.1136/vr.104720

Arsenakis, I., Michiels, A., Schagemann, G., Gomez-Duran, C. O., Boyen, F., Haesebrouck, F. & Maes, D. (2018). Effects of pre-farrowing sow vaccination against M. hyopneumoniae on offspring colonization and lung lesions. Veterinary Record doi: 10.1136/vr.104972

Michiels, A., Arsenakis, I., Matthijs, A., Boyen, F., Haesaert, G., Audenaert, K., Eeckhout, M., Croubels, S., Haesebrouck, F. & Maes, D. (2018). Clinical impact of deoxynivalenol, 3- acetyl- deoxynivalenol and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol on the severity of an experimental Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in pigs. BMC Veterinary Research 14, 190

López Rodrıǵuez, A., Van Soom, A., Arsenakis, I. & Maes, D. (2017). Boar management and semen handling factors affect the quality of boar extended semen. Porcine Health Management 3, 15