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Research interests & areas of expertise

I am an experienced ethologist and specialist in exotic animal behaviour and welfare studies and have undertaken consultancy for zoological collections.

My areas of expertise and interest focus on:

• Understanding the effect of zoos (or other managed environments) on animal behaviour and welfare
• Assessing animal welfare and identifying mitigation efforts to ensure positive welfare in zoo-housed or other managed exotic animals
• Using citizen science within zoos
• Applied animal conservation

More information on current research can be found on .

I can be contacted by email at: ewilliams@harper-adams.ac.uk

Current PhD students

• Alice King - Individuality in animals: applying personality profiles to evidence-based management of small mammals in education. Director of Studies. 
• Daniel Wright - Utilising naïve observers in animal behaviour and welfare research: methodological developments and impacts on conservation education outcomes. Director of Studies. 
• Jennifer Sadler - An evidence-based approach to development of welfare-friendly practice guidelines for animals in education. Director of Studies. 
• Katherine Hart - An investigation into the impact of canine obesity on health and welfare and the efficacy of one-to-one and group weight management programmes. Second supervisor.
• Lee Johnson - Beyond vertebrates: developing validated welfare standards and ethical guidelines for invertebrate management in captivity, farming and research. Second supervisor.
• Manny Salmeron - Production and Implementation of Organic Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid in Ruminants. Second supervisor. 
• Raman Ghimire - Improving elephant and wildlife welfare assessments. Second supervisor.
• Sophie Rabone - Bird reintroduction: animal behaviour and stakeholder perceptions. Director of Studies. 
• Thomas Welsh - Are there benefits from human-animal interactions? Implications for human health, well-being and animal welfare. Third supervisor.

Other research projects

• African Mesocarnivore behaviour and human-animal coexistence
• Elephant welfare in zoos
• Development of positive welfare indicators for zoo housed callitrichids

Boards and advisory roles

• Member of the Royal Society of Biology
• Co-opt member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums Research Committee
• Official Advisor for the European Association of Zoos and Aqauria Animal Welfare Working Group
• EAZA Animal Welfare Instructor
• UK representative for the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE)

Teaching

Module leader

• Animals in Zoos (UG Level 5)
• Zoo Animal Health and Conservation (UG Level 5)

Other taught modules

• International Perspectives on the Management of Animal Populations (UG Level 6)
• Animal Husbandry and Management (UG Level 4)
• Introduction to Animal Welfare and Ethics (UG Level 4)
• Welfare, Ethics, Law and Policy (UG Level 4)
• Behaviour and Welfare Science (UG Level 5)
• Applied Behaviour for the Clinical Animal Behaviourist (UG Level 5)

Professional Memberships

• Member of the Royal Society of Biology
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• International Society of Applied Ethology (ISAE)
• Member of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB)
• Member of the BBSRC Animal Welfare Research Network (AWRN)
• Member of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW)
• Member of UK Animal Care Technicians