Jackie Chappell

Dr. Jackie Chappell is an Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour at the University of Birmingham and Deputy Head of the School of Biosciences. She holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford (1996) and has been at the University of Birmingham since 2004. Her research focuses on animal cognition, particularly tool use in New Caledonian crows, and practical applications of cognition in captive animal welfare. She collaborates with institutions like Twycross Zoo and the Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation to improve enclosure design for great apes and parrots.

Her academic roles include teaching modules such as 'Animal Behaviour: From Theory to Application' and supervising student projects, often involving fieldwork at zoos. She has secured grants from NERC, the ARCUS Foundation, and the Royal Society. Dr. Chappell’s work extends to editorial roles in journals like Animal Behaviour and Learning & Behavior, and she engages in public outreach through podcasts and media.

Key research projects include the Enclosure Design Tool (EDT), which uses wild ape behavior data to optimize zoo enclosures, and studies on parrot cognition and welfare. Her interdisciplinary collaborations span computer science, psychology, and conservation biology.