Education
- 2023 – PhD, Biological Sciences, Queen’s University of Belfast, UK
- 2018 – MSc, Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Queen’s University of Belfast, UK
- 2003 – BSc, Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico
Research
I am a veterinarian interested in different aspects of animal welfare and behaviour. I am particularly interested in understanding how the animal’s mental and physical states are affected by their living environment, and what changes can be implemented in order to improve the animal’s wellbeing.
In my MSc thesis, using quantitative and qualitative behavioral assessing methods, I evaluated how dogs maintained in Commercial Breeding Facilities reacted to the presence of an unfamiliar person.
My PhD in Biological Sciences also focused on studying the welfare of Commercial Breeding Dogs. Integrating behavioral, physiologicaI and cognitive measures, I explored how the commercial breeding environment affects the behavior and welfare of adult breeding dams at different stages of the reproductive cycle.
Other specific research interests include the study of animal cognition and exploring interspecific (animal-human) communication skills in domestic animals.
My work at the Croney Research Lab focuses on assessing the behaviour and welfare of breeding dams maintained in commercial breeding kennels in the U.S. Specifically, exploring the impact management practices may have on influencing the behavioral and physical health of breeding dams.
