Leanne Proops

Leanne Proops is an Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Portsmouth, affiliated with the Faculty of Science and Health and the School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences. She holds roles in the Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology and Revolution Plastics Institute. Her education includes a PhD in Psychology from Sussex University, an MSc in Animal Behaviour from Exeter University, and a BSc in Experimental Psychology from Sussex University.

Her research focuses on animal social cognition, communication, welfare, and evolutionary thanatology. Key projects include studying equid cognition (horses, donkeys, mules), death-related behaviors in animals, and the One Welfare approach linking human, animal, and environmental health. She investigates human-animal interactions, including attitudes toward working animals and cross-species communication.

Recent work highlights her global impact, including studies in Senegal, Kenya, Mexico, and Portugal on working equid welfare, NGO sustainability, and community-based interventions. Her articles span equine facial behavior, primate social communication, and child-animal/robot interactions, reflecting interdisciplinary approaches.

Proops supervises PhD, MSc, and undergraduate students, coordinates psychology modules, and teaches on BSc Psychology and Forensic Psychology programs. She has received 2 academic prizes and contributed to over 36 peer-reviewed articles, many with high societal impact.