People
Animal Welfare Science Centre
Meet our academics and researchers
A/Prof Lauren Hemsworth
Senior Research Fellow and Acting Director AWSC, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Research interests include the human-animal relationship and its influence on animal welfare and productivity, field welfare assessment in farm and companion animals and developing education programs for recreational horse owners.
lauren.hemsworth@unimelb.edu.au +61390357613Dr Megan Lucas
Research Fellow, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Megan’s research experience is in studying the effects of factors such as the human-animal relationship, housing, management practices and early life experiences on pig welfare and productivity. Working within the CRC-P ‘Eliminating pig tail removal to improve welfare and industry sustainability’
megan.lucas@unimelb.edu.auDr Peta Taylor
Lecturer Animal Science, School of Agriculture, food and ecosystem sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Peta’s passions include the behaviour and welfare of production animals, with a particular interest in free-range poultry and effective enrichment.
peta.taylor@unimelb.edu.au +61383449102Dr Carolina Hess
Lecturer in Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Carolina’s research interests are livestock management, painful husbandry procedures and practice change.
munoz.c@unimelb.edu.auDr Mia Cobb
Chaser Innovation Research Fellow, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Helping dogs live their best lives with us. Research explores human attitudes, housing and management practices, animal behaviour, stress physiology and how animal welfare relates to the sustainability of animal-based industries. Active in science communication, emerging technologies, citizen science, welfare auditing, and all things dog.
mia.cobb@unimelb.edu.au +61390353603Maxine Fogarty
Research Assistant, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Maxine directs the conduct of research projects across species and assists in the development of grant applications.
m.fogarty@unimelb.edu.au +61390357633Bronwyn Stevens
Research assistant and sessional teacher, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Bronwyn provides a broad range of research and teaching support.
stevensb@unimelb.edu.au
Rutu Galea
Research Assistant, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Rutu assists in the conduct of research projects across animal species.
rutu.galea@unimelb.edu.au +61383444853
Lucy Wotherspoon
Research assistant, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Lucy provides support for various research projects on pig welfare.
lucy.wotherspoon@unimelb.edu.au
Prof Paul Hemsworth
Hon Professor, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. A research career studying the behaviour and welfare of farm and companion animals, particularly examining the influence of the social and physical environment on farm animal behaviour and welfare and the influence of human-animal interactions on animal welfare and productivity.
phh@unimelb.edu.au
Prof Grahame Coleman
Hon Professor, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Grahame has followed a research career in aspects of human and animal behaviour associated with biological rhythmicity and sleep and changes in stress-related and reproductive hormones. Current research interests focus primarily on human-animal interactions in farm and companion animals and public attitudes to animal welfare.
grahame.coleman@unimelb.edu.auKym Butler
Kym held the position of Senior Biometrician with Agriculture Victoria and he applies biometric analysis to the Centre’s research projects.
kym.butler@unimelb.edu.auJeremy Skuse
Executive Officer, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne. Jeremy is also Animal Welfare Lead with Scolexia P/L. His Interests include practical assessment of animal welfare, welfare assurance and training programs, including ProHand, which optimise animal welfare.
jskuse@unimelb.edu.auMeet our students
Rutu Galea
Rutu is investigating risk factors to tail biting within the CRC-P ‘Eliminating pig tail removal to improve welfare and industry sustainability’.
Maxine Fogarty
Max is researching smothering in free range and barn layer systems.
Madeleine Woodruff
How can best practice become normal practice? Using tail docking in sheep as an example.
Amelia Sofra
Investigating effects of qualitative dietary intervention and complex early-life environments on stress resilience and production in broiler breeder chickens.
Niya Lee
Examining the prediction of limb injury in thoroughbred racehorses using inertial sensor data in training and racing
Steven Impey
Validation and development of computer vision based smart health monitoring technologies for the early detection of disease in pigs (Sus domesticus) in commercial Australian pork production systems.
Hanna Degefa
Designing and evaluating behavior-change interventions to improve working equid welfare and livelihoods in Ethiopia using a One Health approach.
Jessica McCrimmon
Developing evidence-based zoo animal welfare assessment tools and investigating stakeholder perspectives to promote positive animal welfare in zoos
Claire Williams
Project will focus on the Human Animal Relationship in Zoos
Cindy Lee
Determining the thermal and acoustic risk to working dog welfare in vehicles
Mariska Prahaladh
Thermal and acoustic risk to working dog welfare in vehicles: seasonal variation and welfare implications
Juliet Hales
Cold comfort: Thermal and acoustic welfare risks for working dogs in vehicles throughout Melbourne’s cooler climate
Lucas Bizjak
Project TBA
Issy Perrignon
Project TBA