CCSAW Associated Faculty
The University of Guelph has always attracted researchers with active interests in animal welfare and related ethical issues. Today, CCSAW gathers that expertise together with associated faculty drawn from the sciences, humanities and social sciences. Many of our researchers have received awards for their outstanding contributions to improving the lives of companion, agricultural and laboratory animals. They provide a broad base of expertise ranging from Veterinary Medicine to Philosophy and everything in between, and are known for work that encompasses multiple areas of interest:
Care and use of animals used in teaching and research. The University's reputation for providing exemplary animal care is due to the combined efforts of many individuals who serve on the Animal Care Committee, develop techniques to improve or replace the use of animals, explore the relationships between experimenter and animal subject and examine the ethics of animal use.
Farm Animal Welfare. The University is an international leader in research and teaching on the welfare of agricultural animals. Our Faculty was integral in the initial drafting of the Canadian Recommended Codes of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals, and offered the first formal undergraduate degree course in Farm Animal Care and Welfare in the world. Some key research areas are exploring methods for assessing welfare, exploring the ethical implications arising from human-animal relationships, and investigating relationships between management and animal welfare.
Companion Animals. Many humans benefit psychologically and emotionally from animals used for companionship and sport. Faculty committed to promoting the well-being of these animals have concentrated on improving behavioural management and health care, finding effective relief of pain for injured or post-operative animals and exploring human-animal bond.
Fish and Wildlife. Human behaviour and technology often affect the welfare of wild animals. Faculty explore humane issues in hunting, trapping and fishing, work to improve the health and well-being of wild populations and examine the welfare implications of keeping exotic species in captivity.
Animal Ethics. The use of non-human animals raises numerous ethical questions. Faculty consider the welfare consequences of transgenics and biotechnology, standards for the treatment of animals used for food and research and human-animal relationships both at individual and global levels.
Faculty Profiles
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Jim Atkinson, Department of Animal and Poultry Science Nutritional factors influencing the bahaviour and welfare of companion and captive animals. |
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Andrew Bailey, Department of Philosophy The scientific problem of phenomenal consciousness, especially the relationship between information-processing/functional properties of brains and the qualitative 'feels' of consciousness; Implications for animal welfare, particularly for the question of using relatively easily accessible behavioural and physiological data (such as studies of pain behaviour and nociception) as a proxy for subjective conscious awareness (such as conscious sensation of pain or discomfort) in non-human species. |
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Ian Barker, Department of Pathobiology Wildlife and zoo animal pathology; epidemiology of Lyme disease, gastrointestinal pathology. |
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Dave Barney, Manager of Animal Care at the Toronto Zoo, Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science Animal nutrition and ethology; Nutrition, enrichment and training of the Toronto Zoo collection. |
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Ken Bateman, Department of Population Medicine Beef health management; Respiratory disease of cattle. |
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Gregoy Bedecarrats, Department of Animal and Poultry Science Hormonal control of reproduction, behaviour, and immune function in poultry; Impact of water and feed deprivation on the welfare of turkey breeder hens during forced moulting; Finding alternative moulting techniques which would mimic naturally occurring hormonal changes and thereby reduce stress and mortality. |
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Denna Benn, Animal Care Services Compliance issues and 'best practices' pertaining to the use of animals in research and teaching endeavours. |
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Renée Bergeron, Campus d'Alfred Effects of nutritional and environmental factors on behaviour and welfare of farm animals; Stress related to handling, transportation and pre-slaughter management, and its effects on welfare, physiology and meat quality. |
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Herman Boermans, Department of Biomedical Science Clinical toxicology and immunotoxicology; Development of immunoassay techniques in diagnostic toxicology. |
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Ron Brooks, Department of Integrative Biology Life history of turtles, particularly the relationships among age at first reproduction, reproductive output, body size and growth rates and longevity; Changes in correlation among life history measures when these measures are examined among species, among populations, among individuals and within individuals over time; Social behaviour of small mammals particularly infanticide and parental care and the evolution of these behaviour patterns. |
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Veterinary communication, human-Animal Bond, pedagogy of communication in veterinary education |
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Peter Conlon, Department of Biomedical Science Pharmacology; Pharmacology of inflammation; Platelet function; Veterinarian-client interactions. |
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Brenda Coomber, Co-Director, Institute for Comparative Cancer investigation, Department of Biomedical Science The research group studies cancer biology using in vitro as well as in vivo models, including naturally occurring cancers in companion animals. In particular, we focus on non-cytotoxic anti-cancer approaches, such as anti-angiogenic therapy; Angiogenesis and anti-angiogenic therapy in cancer, tumour biology, microenvironment and mutagenesis, epigenetic changes in cancer, cancer cell survival in suspension. |
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John Cranfield, Department of Agricultural Economics and Business Consumer behaviour and demand analysis; Industrial organization aspects of agri-food markets; Issues related to optimal advertising by commodity agencies. Dr. Cranfield teaches animal welfare topics in AGR 2400 - Economics of the Canadian Food System (undergraduate). |
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Hank Davis, Department of Psychology Individual human recognition by a variety of species. |
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Don Dedrick, Department of Philosophy The evolution of culture and cognition; animal cognition; Categorization (especially colour categorization); Cognitive Science and its Foundations; Evolutionary Psychology. |
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Trevor DeVries, Department of Animal and Poultry Science, Kemptville Campus Dairy cattle behaviour, nutrition and welfare, with a focus on feeding behaviour and diet selection, and how these are influenced by diet, management and housing systems. Dr. Devries teaches animal welfare topics in ANSC 6740 - Special Topics in Applied Animal Welfare Science - Dairy Cattle Welfare (graduate). |
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Cate Dewey, Department of Population Medicine Swine health management; Prevention of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus transmission by early weaning along with evaluation of vaccines; Aspects of Segregated Early Weaning of swine, swine transport considerations. |
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Todd Duffield, Department of Population Medicine Use of NSAIDs in dehorning dairy calves; Prevention of subclinical ketosis; Impact of Ionophores in dairy cattle; Impact and prevention of production limiting disease (ie.. Neospora caninum, Johnes disease). |
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Ian Duncan, University Chair in Animal Welfare, Department of Animal and Poultry Science Developing methods of “asking” farm animals what they feel about the conditions in which they are kept and the procedures to which they are subjected; Poultry welfare expertise. Dr. Duncan teaches animal welfare topics in ANSC 3210 - Principles of Animal Care & Welfare (undergraduate); ANSC 6700 – Animals in Society (graduate). |
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Robert Friendship, Department of Population Medicine Swine health, particularly control of infectious diseases, including the effects of housing, management, biosecurity, and nutrition on health and welfare. |
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Poultry health management, food safety/zoonotic diseases/veterinary public health, poultry welfare, food quality, environmental issues related to poultry management. |
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Larry Grovum, Department of Biomedical Science Mechanisms controlling food intake, salivation, rumination and mixing in the reticulorumen in sheep are being studied to understand and manipulate control systems to improve rumen function and ruminant productivity. |
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Derek Haley, Department of Population Medicine Applied ethology; Advancing our basic understanding of animal behaviour to improve the ways we manage our agricultural animal species, including finding ways to provide quality of life for animals (animal welfare); Maternal and parent-offspring behaviour. |
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Brad Hanna, Department of Biomedical Science Electrophysiological characterization of ion channels containing disease-related mutations; Investigation of potential new ion channelopathies in animals. |
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Jean Harvey, Department of Philosophy The history of and contemporary work on "ethics and animals"; analyzing and critically assessing the ethical positions involved; Actively involved in moving the philosophical thinking forward on such issues. |
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Alice Hovorka, Department of Geography Social- & Co-Constructions of Nature/Animals |
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Karen Houle, Department of Philosophy Critical review of the history of the concept of "the animal" as a political or moral being, and the arguments for the demarcation of human from non-human animals offered by Western thinkers; Implications for practical lives of animals, human and non-human. Dr. Houle teaches animal welfare topics in PHIL 2070 – Philosophy of the Environment (undergraduate); PHIL 4040 – Advanced Philosophy of the Environment: Animals and Ethics (undergraduate). |
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Walter Johnson, Department of Population Medicine Bovine uterine disease; Bovine cystic ovarian disease; Synchronization programs for beef herd management. |
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Niel Karrow, Department of Animal and Poultry Science Immunogenetics, neuroendocrine immunoregulation, inflammatory diseases |
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Ken Leslie, Department of Population Medicine Assessment of pain, and general well-being of various dairy cattle production groups; Assessment of sickness behavior in calves with diarrhea and at the time of weaning, when it is common for calves to have respiratory disease; Assessment and alleviation of pain at calving is of great interest. |
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Kerry Lissemore, Department of Population Medicine Lameness in dairy cows, specifically the identification of risk factors and early detection methods in order to either prevent the problem or detect it sooner and initiate appropriate treatment; Issues of pain control involving the use of NSAIDs at the time of dehorning as well as looking at their effect at parturition. |
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Georgia Mason, Canada Research Chair in Animal Welfare, Department of Animal and Poultry Science Techniques used to assess animal welfare scientifically; in how chronic captive conditions affect welfare and brain function; and in understanding why some species, strains and individuals cope poorly with captivity, while others adapt well. Dr. Mason teaches animal welfare topics in ANSC 4070 – Applied Animal Behaviour (undergraduate). |
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Karol Mathews, Department of Clinical Studies Emergency and critical care, pain management, renal transplantation. |
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John McMurtry, Department of Philosophy Value theory, ethics, social and political philosophy, Asian/Indian and Chinese philosophy, philosophy of science and technology, philosophy of economics, philosophy of education, philosophy and literature, philosophy of history, post-Kant continental philosophy, the logic of natural language, and philosophy of the environment; Relating philosophical research to the way we live. |
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Katrina Merkies, Department of Animal and Poultry Science, Kemptville Campus Reproductive physiology, particularly the effect of cryopreservation on stallion semen fertility; Reproductive behavior in stallions and mares; Equine behavior in general. |
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Stephen Miller, Department of Animal and Poultry Science Genetic evaluation for growth, feed and carcass traits considering longitudinal data; Economic selection procedures for beef cattle across breeds considering an optimal product and flexible marketing and production parameters; Incorporation of non-additive genetic effects in multi-breed genetic evaluation, selection and mate allocation procedure; Advanced recording, evaluation and reproductive technologies in beef nucleus herds. |
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Suzanne Millman, Iowa State University, Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Population Medicine Techniques for assessing animal welfare in clinical and farm environments, behaviour needs of animals during states of illness and injury, and behaviour problems in livestock and horses. |
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Richard Moccia, Department of Animal and Poultry Science On-going development of research and educational programs which facilitate the orderly growth of the aquaculture industry in Canada; Sentience, pain, fear and stress in fish. Dr. Moccia teaches animal welfare topics in AQUA 6100 - Science and Technology in Aquaculture (graduate). |
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Susan Nance, History Department History of communication and live performance. Use of animal welfare science research as a body of theory with which to understand the lives of historical animals and their effect on human activities; e.g. examining the lives of captive elephants in 19th century circuses; examining the emergence of rodeo 'rough stock' (bulls and horses used for bucking events) that seeks to understand how humans, cattle and horses have been interdependent in the past; the rise and fall of greyhound racing over the course of the twentieth century. Dr. Nance animal welfare topics in AHSS 2290 DE - Environment and History (undergraduate at Guelph-Humber; HIST 6370 - Topics in Cultural History: Human Culture and the Natural World (graduate). |
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Lee Niel, Department of Population Medicine Behaviour and welfare of companion animals, with a background in applied animal behaviour and welfare and behavioural neuroscience, which allows use of a suite of research tools (animal behaviour, molecular genetics, neurobiology) to conduct basic and applied research relating to the behaviour and welfare of cats and dogs. Key areas of interest include: 1) the development and application of novel methods for the identification and management of animal pain and stress, and 2) investigations into the underlying etiology for different forms of dog aggression in terms of genetics, neurobiology and interactions with the environment. |
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Nate Perkins, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development The interaction of environment and behaviour; In particular, human behaviour and natural environments. There are many striking similarities in animal and human welfare scholarship and my work benefits from some knowledge of animal welfare. |
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Margaret Quinton, Department of Animal and Poultry Science Statistical and mathematical modeling, the analysis of research data, and the development of new techniques applied to genetics and other disciplines in animal science. |
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James Squires, Department of Animal and Poultry Science The use of biochemical and molecular biological techniques to study problems important to Animal and Poultry Science, with the goal of improving the productivity, health and welfare of commercial animals, in particular swine and poultry. |
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Melissa Sinclair, Department of Clinical Studies Large and Small Animal Anesthesia, Pain Management, Alpha2-agonists, Cardiopulmonary Response to Anesthesia and Surgery, Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Monitoring Techniques. |
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Dale Smith, Department of Pathobiology Diseases of Wildlife and Zoo Animals. |
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Elizabeth Stone, Dean, Ontario Veterinary College Dr. Stone is the university-designated official with overall responsibility and authority for ensuring that the Campbell Centre is fulfilling its mandate. |
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Vernon Thomas, Department of Integrative Biology The use of science in producing revised policies for wild life management; The problem of lead toxicity to wild life, specifically as it affects waterfowl and loons; Non-toxic substitutes and how provincial and federal policy and legislation on this topic needs to be revised to achieve a common North American reform; the application of ecological principles to agriculture so that extensification of land uses may retain habitat features conducive to wild life diversity as well as produce commodities profitably. |
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Stephanie Torrey, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Department of Animal and Poultry Science Behaviour and welfare of poultry species, with a focus on the development of feeding and drinking behaviour and oral stereotypies. |
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Patricia Turner, Department of Pathobiology Laboratory animal behaviour and welfare; Refining the care and use of research animals; Understanding the mouse and rat as research models. |
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Glen Van Der Kraak, Department of Integrative Biology Multifactorial Regulation of Ovarian Function in Teleosts; Evaluation of Reproductive Fitness in Fish; Early Run Mortality in Sockeye Salmon; Ecotoxicological Effects of Atrazine on Amphibians. |
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Alexander Valverde, Department of Clinical Studies |
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David Waltner-Toews, Department of Population Medicine Community-based ecosystem approaches to health and agriculture, particularly internationally; climate change and infectious diseases of people and animals. |
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Tina Widowski, Director, Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Department of Animal and Poultry Science How various housing and management practices affect the behavioural biology and welfare of farm animals; Fundamental research exploring underlying developmental and physiological mechanisms of behaviour; Applied research addressing practical approaches to solving behaviour problems and improving welfare on farms. Dr. Widowski teaches animal welfare topics in ANSC 4100 – Applied Environmental Physiology and Animal Housing (undergraduate); ANSC 6360 – Applied Environmental Physiology (graduate); ANSC 6440 - Advanced Concepts and Methods in Applied Ethology (graduate). |
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Paul Woods, Co-Director, Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation, Department of Clinical Studies Oncology and infectious disease. |
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Stephanie Yue Cottee, Coordinator, MSc. by Coursework Specializing in Animal Welfare Fish behaviour and welfare. Dr. Yue Cottee teaches animal welfare topics in UNIV 6030 - Seminars and Analysis in Animal Behaviour and Welfare (graduate) |
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