Studying the behavioural biology of cattle sheds light on how they see and experience the world, and ultimately offers us insight into their feelings. What drives their behaviour? How do the ways that we interact with them, house them, and manage them, impact their well-being? In our lab, answering these questions are fundamental to ensuring that the animals we farm, in this case cattle, live a good life.

 I and my lab study animal welfare. We're interested in how to create good living conditions for animals kept in labs, zoos and farms; in how scientists can assess well-being objectively; and in what happens to brain and behaviour when animals are raised and kept lifelong in confining, barren enclosures.

My research focuses primarily on the genetic regulation of innate immunity in animals, with a particular focus on innate immune pattern recognition proteins.

Jennifer's research is concerned with the roles of institutions, markets, and technologies in environmental governance. Topically, many of her projects have centered on oceans, marine resource management, and coastal and Indigenous communities.