Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong
Lead Supervisor: Dr Alan McElligott (City University of Hong Kong).
Co-supervisors: Dr. Mia Cobb (University of Melbourne), Dr. Kai Liu (City University of Hong Kong),
Introduction
The Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/jcc/) is building a team of internationally renowned researchers who are actively engaged in advancing animal health and welfare. The Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/ph/) within the College was established in July 2017. Its mission includes the establishment of state-of-the-art research in emerging problems in public health and animal health related issues, in meeting societal needs locally, regionally and internationally through partnership and strengthening links with industry, business, commerce and other institutions. We also aim to make a significant contribution to Hong Kong as a regional hub for One Health education, through the provision of high quality education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels
The recently established Centre for Companion Animal Health (CCAH, https://www.cityu.edu.hk/jcc/ccah), the first of its kind in Asia, was created to support high-quality research with the primary goal of promoting the health and welfare of dogs, cats and horses, collectively known as companion animals. Our research teams are committed to bringing evidenced-based solutions to diverse problems affecting companion animals in today’s society.
Large numbers of dogs are housed in kennels across the world. Currently, there is no system to monitor their welfare in real time. We aim to develop methods to remotely monitor the welfare of kennel-housed dogs using their behaviours and vocalisations. Various behaviours and the types of vocalisations produced may serve as viable indicators of overall dog welfare.
Attributes
The student for this project should be motivated, organized and driven. They will also need very good communication skills to develop and maintain excellent relations with external partners. This project will best suit a student with an animal or veterinary science background, although those from other relevant disciplines with strong prior performance will also be considered.
Requirements
It is expected the student will meet City University of Hong Kong standard requirements to be considered for a PhD studentship (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/pg/). Applicants must have a degree in Animal or Veterinary Sciences and a relevant Masters degree. The researcher will be based at City University of Hong Kong. International students are required to provide evidence of their proficiency in English language skills.
Contact
Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and short, 2-page CV, on or before April 8th, 2021. Starting: September 2021
Dr. Alan McElligott
Associate Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare
City University of Hong Kong