Dr. Brianna N. Gaskill
With a hope of educating people about the science behind how we house and care for animals in captivity, our site is dedicated to the science we conduct regarding animal welfare. We focus specifically on laboratory animals but also care about and study various other species and fields. All animals under our care deserve to have us determine how best to improve their lives, which may not always be what we think that should be.
Current Research
Dr. Gaskill’s research program focuses on welfare assessment of laboratory animals. She utilizes natural behavior, physiology, and affective state to assess an animal’s overall well-being. She is especially interested how better welfare can translate into better and more robust science. My research interests include: applied ethology, enrichment design and application, improving husbandry techniques, and how environment can affect scientific results when not tailored to the animal’s needs and motivations.
- Further evaluation of the impact nesting material has on overall mouse metabolism and the best thermal environment for mice.
- The affect of nesting material provision on sleep in laboratory mice
- Rat lighting preferences and affects on diabetic models
- Tickling rats…yup we’re serious…google it! You’ll want to join the lab immediately!
