CV

Research Associate (Poultry Welfare Informatics)

Asher Behaviour Lab, Newcastle University

Working to develop, implement and assess machine learning methodologies for the acoustic monitoring of commercial chicken behaviour and welfare.

• Acoustic Monitoring Methods
• Machine Learning
• Commercial Poultry Behaviour & Welfare Assessment
• Working alongside Stakeholders

Temporary Research Assistant

Asher Behaviour Lab, Newcastle University

Working to develop, implement and assess computer vision based methods for the monitoring of commercial chicken piling behaviours.

• Computer Vision Methods
• Convolutional Neural Network Design & Implementation
• Commercial Poultry Behaviour & Welfare Assessment
• Working alongside Stakeholders

Research Associate

Westgarth Anthrozoology Group, University of Liverpool

A short-term research post joining an established team. My role focussed on the analysis of extant data and compilation of results for inclusion in a report to several external governmental stakeholders on the prevalence and statistical trends in the rescue of dogs and cats from abroad and the prevalence of significant diseases within those animals.

• Working with governmental stakeholders
• Report writing for audiences of varying familiarity with the subject
• GIS analyses
• RShiny analysis and visualisation tool development

Computational Technician in Behaviour Informatics

Asher Behaviour Lab, Newcastle University

Working to design, develop, and validate an open-source inertial measurement unit as a low cost alternative within both by researchers and animal shelters. Project was the result of a grant (~£60,000) conceived of and written by me and awarded by Battersea dogs & cats home.

• Grant writing
• Hardware design
• Project Management
• Budget Management
• Working within shelter environments
• Science Communication

Animal Behaviour Technician (Maternity Cover)

Animal Behaviour Cognition and Welfare Research Group, University of Lincoln

Collecting and analysing data of dyad social interactions between domestic dogs. Both video and chemical sample data were collected with the former annotated and analysed by myself and an additional research technician.

• Behavioural annotation
• Chemical sampling techniques
• Instruction of colleagues in ethological annotation

Research Assistant (Behaviour Informatics)

Asher Behaviour Lab, Newcastle University

Assisting on numerous projects across the lab group while also providing support for a diverse group of PhD students and research technicians. Methods I used for the assessment of animal behaviour and welfare throughout this time included thermography, acoustic analysis, and computer vision. Work included the writing of reports for industrial partners and development of reusable rapid assessment tools and pipelines (including a custom android application).

• Acoustic Monitoring
• Thermography
• Computer vision
• Android Application Development
• Industrial partner-facing report writing
• Science Communication

PhD

Newcastle University,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,
UK

The Automatic Classification of Canine State Using Accelerometers

MRes

Newcastle University,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,
UK

Animal Behaviour - Measuring the Effects of Aging on Behaviour in Dogs Using Accelerometers

MRes

Swansea University,
Swansea,
UK

Biological Sciences - The Applicability of Animal-Attached Tri-Axial Accelerometers and Machine Learning Techniques for Inferring the Behaviour of Wild Social Primates

BSc

Aberystwyth University,
Aberystwyth,
UK

Zoology

Battersea Research Grant

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

~£60,000 grant awarded for the design, development, and validation of an open-source device for the remote monitoring of animal behaviour, welfare, and health within a shelter setting.

PawPrint Project featured as “New and Noteworthy” by the Open Science Framework.

Open Science Framework

The PawPrint project page was featured prominenetly on the front page of the OSF homepage for weeks following the award.

Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour

Animal Welfare Research Network

PawPrint: An Open Source Inertial and Magnetic Measurement Unit

O'Sullivan, J.

This Open Science Framework Repository presents all files required for the manufacture and configuration of the PawPrint device. This Open-Source Inertial and Magnetic Measurement Unit (IMMU) has been developed as a minimal cost solution for the remote monitoring of animal activity and behaviour. Work funded via a grant awarded by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

‘Dynamic body acceleration as a measure of welfare impact in domestic dogs.

O'Sullivan, J., Asher, L.

The impact of welfare on the circadian rhythms of activity in domestic dogs.

O'Sullivan, J., Asher, L.

A step in the right direction: an open-design pedometer algorithm for dogs.

Ladha C., Belshaw Z., O’Sullivan J., Asher L.

Identification of behaviours from accelerometer data in a wild social primate.

Fehlmann G., O’Riain M.J., Hopkins P.W., O’Sullivan J., Holton M.D., Shepard E.L.C., King A.J.

GaitKeeper: A System for Measuring Canine Gait.

Ladha C., O’Sullivan J., Belshaw Z., Asher L.

‘Identifying Canine Posture from a Wearable Sensor: Application of Cross-Disciplinary Methods to Companion Animal Monitoring.’

Volume 1 of the Proceedings of the joint 12th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research and 6th Seminar on Behavioral Methods

Translating behavioural ecology acceleration measures to a welfare context.

Proceedings of the 6th Annual Meeting of the Animal Welfare Research Network.

Circadian rhythms in activity in healthy and arthritic dogs.

Proceedings of the 52nd Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology, Ethology for health and welfare