Carolyn Walsh

Carolyn Walsh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Memorial University of Newfoundland (Faculty of Science). Her research focuses on animal behavior, particularly the interplay between early environmental influences and social experiences on cognitive and hormonal development. She uses domestic Yucatan miniature pigs and dogs as primary study subjects, alongside collaborations with caribou researchers. Walsh co-leads the Canine Research Unit (CRU), exploring dog social behavior, personality, and hormonal interactions (e.g., cortisol, oxytocin). She emphasizes theoretical frameworks like Niko Tinbergen’s 'Four Questions' to investigate proximate and ultimate causes of behavior.

Education: B.Sc.(Hons.) from Memorial University, M.A. from University of Toronto, and Ph.D. from Memorial University. Her work bridges evolutionary biology and psychology, with notable studies on episodic-like memory in minipigs and cortisol dynamics in dog park environments. Collaborators include Dr. Gerard Martin (pig cognition) and Dr. Rita Anderson (canine research). Walsh actively supervises graduate students and occasionally conducts seabird fieldwork with starlings.

Research themes include early life effects on neural development, temperament-personality interactions, and hormonal underpinnings of social behavior. Her lab integrates behavioral observation, endocrinology, and cognitive testing, emphasizing hands-on engagement with live animals. Walsh’s publications span journals like Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Behavioral Ecology, and Journal of Veterinary Behavior, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach.

Labs/Teams: Co-founder and co-chair of the Canine Research Unit (CRU), collaborating with Dr. Anne Storey on human-dog bonding. She also participates in seabird research networks, examining stress physiology in puffins and murres. Future work continues to explore cross-species behavioral mechanisms and applied animal welfare.