Hi I'm
Prof Cathy Dwyer

I have been working in animal behaviour and welfare for more than 30 years and lead a team of scientists working on the welfare of farmed, companion, and wild animals. In my work I carry out research projects, teach undergraduate and postgraduate students about animal welfare and lead our capacity-building work in Asia. My research focuses on using animal behaviour to understand how animals experience the world and how they cope with challenges. I have a particular focus on maternal behaviour and the development of young animals, as well as how we can understand the welfare of animals managed in extensive systems or in the wild. I am also interested in how humans behave and how understanding human behaviour can lead to sustainable solutions to animal welfare issues.

I teach behaviour and welfare to veterinary students, student veterinary nurses, animal science and animal welfare students and supervise PhD student projects. In my research, I have been involved in several large, multi-partner projects with colleagues across Europe, particularly considering sheep welfare and management. I also work on several projects considering the welfare of horses and how this can be improved.

In my outreach work, I collaborate with a number of partner institutions in Asia (especially in India and China) to develop teaching and research activities in animal welfare. This involves running workshops and providing training, mentoring and support for the development of animal welfare science in these institutions.