Approximately one-half of all Canadian families include a companion animal, so many of us care passionately about these animals and how to improve their care.
Who We Are
Lead Faculty
Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova
Assistant Professor; NSERC/BC SPCA Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare
Graduate Students
What We Do
BC SPCA publications
Sasha Protopopova and her students contribute articles in each bi-annual issue of the BC SPCA’s Science & Policy Newsletter and AnimalSense magazine. Take a look at the most recent issues on BC SPCA’s website.
AnimalSense Science & PolicyCVMA’s West Coast Veterinarian
Members of the program often write articles in CMVA’s West Coast Veterinarian magazine. View past issues on CMVA’s website.
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Where We Work
Human-Animal Interaction Lab
This space opened in September 2022 thanks to federal and provincial funding via the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the BC Knowledge Development Fund. Led by Dr. Protopopova, this space invites pet dogs and their owners to engage in canine cognition research. It is has been approved by UBC veterinarians to ensure it is safe for pups and their humans.
Learn More
Latest News
Search Within Companion Animal News
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Congratulations to two AWP graduates and to Dr. Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk for receiving Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring at graduation!
Last Friday at the UBC Land and Food Systems Winter 2023 convocation ceremony, we celebrated Dr. Nina von Keyserlingk, as well as PhD graduate Wali (Mohammad) Sahar and MSc graduate Kai von Rentzell. Congrats to all!
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Introducing the Human-Animal Interaction Lab!
The new Human-Animal Interaction Lab at UBC’s Vancouver Campus will soon be welcoming owners and their pets to participate in canine cognitive studies. In order to improve companion animal wellbeing in shelters and pet-owning households, researchers are looking for new information. Additionally, they will study how to better utilize therapy dogs in educational settings for…
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Dr. Camila Cavalli joins the Human-Animal Interaction Lab!
We would like to welcome Dr. Camila Cavalli as the newest Postdoctoral Researcher in the Animal Welfare Program! Camila recently earned her PhD in Psychology (2022) from the National University of Córdoba, Argentina and is working with Dr. Sasha Protopopova in the Human-Animal Interaction Lab. Learn about Camila’s interest in animal welfare below and see her…
Thanks to our supporters! Companion animal welfare is an important area of concern of key donors including the BC SPCA and the BCVMA.