Emma Buckland
|
|
Emma is a PhD student in the Animal Welfare group, studying "Canine positive affect: indicators, owner assessments and interaction with chronic pain perception". Prior to this studentship. Emma was involved in an RSPCA-funded research project at the RVC, investigating the priority of companion dog welfare issues.
Biography
Emma graduated from the University of Bristol in 2009, after completion of the BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare programme.
Emma then spent 18 months (July 2009 - November 2010), as a research assistant at the RVC, studying the welfare of companion dogs in the UK. Sponsored by a major animal charity, the work provided an objective outline of the best way to focus limited resources to tackle companion dog welfare issues. This work incorporated stakeholder and expert opinion on tackling welfare issues, as well as the development of a quantitative tool to measure welfare priority using risk assessment principles.
In December 2010, Emma began a BBSRC RVC-funded (fees and stipend only) PhD studentship titled "Canine positive affect: indicators, owner assessments and interaction with chronic pain perception". She is supervised by Drs Siobhan Abeyesinghe, Holger Volk and Charlotte Burn. Her research plans include subjective and objective identification of measures of positive emotion in dogs. Further, Emma aims to investigate possible links between frequent positive affect and enhanced pain perception in chronic painful conditions.
Emma's research interests lie in companion animal behaviour and welfare science; and include recognition and alleviation of behavioural problems, quality of life measures, emotion and the human-animal bond.
Research
In a study funded by a major animal welfare charity, Emma used a number of different approaches to gather information on the relative priority of companion dog welfare issues. In this role, Emma analysed a comprehensive survey of the opinions of British stakeholders in companion dog welfare; co-ordinated an expert panel to discuss welfare priorities and developed a novel tool to improve objective and holistic assessment of the priority of issues, using quality of life measures and risk assessment principles. During this project, Emma was also involved in a literature review (Mr Martin Whiting), and an epidemiological study to estimate the number of dogs in Britain (Dr Lucy Asher). A final report, collating all approaches, was submitted to the funding body in December 2010.
Emma's PhD research focuses on the identification of reliable indicators of positive affective states in dogs, in particular teasing out those indicators associated with valence and arousal. The study utlises owner assessments, as well as more objective behavioural and physiological measures. The research will examine the influences of personality characteristics, breed, age and other variables on the expression of positive affect. In later years, Emma aims to use those indicators shown to be most reliable to investigate links between frequenct positve affect (and 'more positive' personalitiies) and enahcned pain perception in dogs with chronic pain conditions. This work has implications for the promotion of positive welfare and quality of life in companion dogs, and enhanced pain management.
Teaching
Emma co-supervises student research projects related to companion animal behaviour and emotion.