I am a veterinary surgeon and an early career researcher in animal welfare science. My background is in veterinary medicine with 2 years of clinical experience in equine and small animal hospitals. Having obtained an MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law at the University of Glasgow, I published my dissertation on the ethical views of the UK public on routine neutering of dogs and cats and subsequently worked with Plymouth and Nottingham Universities on cognitive bias testing in shelter dogs. I have been awarded a PhD at the University of Glasgow where I conducted research on non-invasive welfare assessment in male and female rats. During this research I have developed further specific research skills including application of infrared thermography, ELISA assays, behavioural analysis and advanced statistics using mixed models in R. I have also given oral presentations at UFAW and NC3Rs conferences. I gained curriculum development skills from my part-time course writing position, developing course materials and assessments for animal health, welfare, and research modules. As a member of active research groups, I have co-supervised BSc and MSc students and involved as a research technician for a BBSRC funded project at the University of Bristol, validating depression-like syndrome in mice and pioneering the use of Horse Grimace Scale. I am currently managing a BBSRC funded interdisciplinary project in rats: Ontogenetic & Evolutionary Roots of Social Competence and their Implications for Wellbeing (BB/X00631X/1), with Dr Manon Schweinfurth at the University of St Andrews.