Congratulations to Dr. Sasha Protopopova, who was recently promoted to Associate Professor at the Animal Welfare Program. Since joining the AWP in 2019, she has developed a novel line of research that aims to learn more about dogs and improve companion animal welfare.
In 2022, Dr. Protopopova opened the new Human-Animal Interaction Lab, the first of its kind at UBC, where research is conducted about dog cognition, learning, and welfare. The lab has welcomed dozens of pet dogs, therapy dogs, and their humans to partake in studies.
In addition to the new lab, Dr. Protopopova has continued her research with animal shelters as the NSERC/BC SPCA Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare. Since joining AWP, research has focused on the welfare of many different companion animal species, including new research with pet rabbits and rats. In addition, research has investigated the human dimension of animal shelters, including the improvement of animal shelter management practices, and support for pet owners in communities.
In 2024, Dr. Protopopova was awarded the Land and Food Systems inaugural Teaching Award for her commitment to teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels. The award recognized Dr. Protopopova’s passion for seeking new ways to encourage critical analysis of animal behaviour and animal sheltering, her innovative learning methods, and her ability to create inclusive classroom environments.