Ben Lecorps

Dr. Ben Lecorps serves as a Senior Lecturer at the Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, specializing in animal welfare science with a focus on emotional states and cognitive processes in farm animals. His expertise directly addresses welfare assessment in dairy systems and laboratory settings through innovative methodological approaches.

Dr. Lecorps holds a PhD, MSc, and BSc in relevant disciplines, forming the foundation for his research in animal sentience. His educational trajectory supports his interdisciplinary approach combining veterinary science, behavioral biology, and ethics.

His research program centers on Animal Welfare, Animal Emotions, and Animal Cognition, with particular emphasis on dairy cattle, pain assessment, and affective state measurement. He pioneers cognitive bias testing (e.g., judgment bias paradigms) and physiological monitoring to quantify emotions like pessimism and anhedonia in calves and heifers. Current investigations span disbudding pain management, hunger effects on cognition, and human-animal relationship impacts, bridging fundamental neuroscience with practical on-farm applications.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveals three dominant research strands: (1) development of welfare assessment tools (conditioned place preference/aversion tests), (2) dairy-specific welfare challenges (disbudding, regrouping, transportation), and (3) policy implications of welfare science (EU regulations, organic standards). His work consistently integrates behavioral, cognitive, and physiological metrics to advance evidence-based welfare frameworks.

Dr. Lecorps actively supervises student research projects and theses within the Bristol Veterinary School. While specific grant details aren't public, his output suggests sustained funding for experimental welfare studies involving dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry systems. His collaborative network includes key figures like Professor Michael Mendl (Animal Behaviour and Welfare) and Dr. Suzanne Held (Behavioural Biology), forming a cohesive research group focused on affective neuroscience in farm animals.

The Langford-based research team employs advanced methodologies including non-linear heart rate variability analysis, cognitive testing arenas, and behavioral observation protocols. Current projects investigate pain-emotion interactions in calves, social learning in poultry, and regulatory effectiveness for transport welfare, positioning the group at the forefront of translational animal welfare science.