Muhammad Atta-Ul-Zia

Dr. Muhammad Atta Ul Zia joined ICARDA as a Research Associate (Small Ruminant Breeder/Livestock Economist) for Punjab, Pakistan, on 16 January 2025. He holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and an MPhil in Veterinary Microbiology from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore.

Dr. Atta brings over a decade of experience in livestock research, field implementation, disease surveillance, and community-based livestock development initiatives across Punjab and Sindh, Pakistan. He has worked on several internationally funded projects, including those supported by ACIAR and USAID.

He previously served as a Senior Area Advisor for the ACIAR Small Ruminant Project and as Principal Investigator/Team Leader for an ACIAR-funded COVID-19 Impact Study. In these roles, he contributed to research on smallholder farming systems, livestock value chains, farmer training programs, and animal health interventions.

In addition, he has been actively involved in USAID-supported initiatives, where he has contributed to capacity building and farmer training, thereby enhancing the adoption of improved livestock management practices.

His expertise in participatory research approaches, digital data collection tools (such as CommCare), training delivery, and stakeholder engagement brings valuable technical and field experience to the ICARDA team