Deborah Wells

Dr Deborah Wells is a Reader in the School of Psychology at Queen's University Belfast, specializing in animal welfare and behavior, particularly in dogs and cats. Her research focuses on improving psychological welfare of animals, human-animal bond, and laterality studies. She holds a PhD from Queen's (1996) and has been a lecturer since 1999.

Education:

• BSc (Hons) Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, 1992
• PhD in Animal Welfare, Queen's University Belfast, 1996

Research Interests: Animal welfare assessment, laterality in animals, enrichment strategies, and pets' impact on human health. Recent work includes studies on auditory enrichment for dogs and equine-assisted therapy.

Awards: Multiple grants and awards, including CAST DfE Collaborative PhD Studentships and the Most Popular Paper Award.

Teaching & Grants: Teaches animal behavior modules and supervises PhD students. Leads projects like the KTP with Devenish Nutrition and lateralised behavior research. Active in the Animal Behaviour Centre.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Animal Behaviour Centre, promoting interdisciplinary research in animal welfare.