Alexandra Protopopova

Alexandra Protopopova is an Associate Professor in the Applied Biology department at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia. She holds the NSERC/BC SPCA Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare and focuses on improving animal shelter practices and companion animal welfare.

• PhD in Behavior Analysis, University of Florida
• MS in Behavior Analysis, University of Florida
• BS in Pre-Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• BS in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Her research explores companion animal behavior, shelter interventions, and human-animal relationships, with recent work on pet owner behavior during climate change, shelter stressors, and animal adoption strategies. Her publications span journals like Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science and Behavioral Processes.

Her awards include the NSERC/BC SPCA Industrial Research Chair. She supervises graduate student Lexis Ly (PhD in Applied Animal Biology) and collaborates on interdisciplinary research projects involving undergraduate students.