Dr Ellen Williams

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

Animal Health, Behaviour and Welfare, Harper Adams University

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Ellen Williams is an experienced ethologist and specialist in zoo animal behaviour and welfare studies and has undertaken consultancy for zoological collections. Her areas of expertise focus on understanding the effect of the zoo environment on animal behaviour and welfare and identifying opportunities for mitigation efforts to ensure positive welfare in zoo-housed animals. She is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums Research Committee (co-opt member), Official Advisor for the European Association of Zoos and Aqauria Animal Welfare Working Group and an EAZA Animal Welfare Instructor. She is also the UK representative for the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE) and a member of the ISAE ethics committee.

More information on her current research can be found on her Research Gate profile.

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Understanding, inclusive, organised.

Provision of Training

A PhD is your chance to grow as an independent researcher, with a support network throughout the process. I would expect you to own your project throughout but that your supervisory team will support you in this project and personal development. Training and support will be driven by your individual needs.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I am here for advice and guidance but I will expect you to be responsible for your project and the progress of your work. I would expect you to be open to discussion about how we can best support you in making good progress and we would have regular check ins to ensure you are meeting relevant targets and feel supported through the process.

Communication

I am here to support you throughout your PhD and will be happy to direct you to appropriate services as required. I am contactable via email and Teams and will arrange regular in person meetings on a pre-defined schedule (usually once per month) but I am happy to schedule in supplementary meetings as needed.

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me:

In a group meeting

At least once a month

In year 1 of PhD study

At least once a month

In year 2 of PhD study

At least once a month

In year 3 of PhD study

At least once a month

These meetings will be a mixture of face to face, via video chat or telephone. I have an open-door policy, though my pattern of being contactable for an instant response is not predictable.

Working Pattern

The timing of work in my lab is completely flexible, and (other than attending pre-arranged meetings), I expect students to manage their own time.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 2 weeks' notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Thinking, Playing, Connecting: Evidence-Based Enrichment for Cognitively Advanced Social Species in Zoos

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Thinking, Playing, Connecting: Evidence-Based Enrichment for Cognitively Advanced Social Species in Zoos

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Holly Vickery, Matthew Shackleton, Lucy Stratford, Jemma Dias

University of Registration:

BBSRC Research Themes:

Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Animal Health and Welfare)

Project Outline

Enriched environments are important for zoo animals, ensuring positive welfare and cognitive challenge. Enrichment can improve quality of life by enabling species-typical behaviours and opportunities for choice and control (Carlstead and Shepherdson, 2000), but goal-based enrichment does not follow a one-size fits all model and it can be difficult to effectively implement (Tuite et al., 2022). Reflective practice which incorporates evaluation at an individual and group level is often overlooked. Socially complex and cognitively advanced species are difficult to cater for in zoos. Environments must support complex social dynamics whilst being cognitively stimulating, providing challenge without frustration. Understanding the interplay between animal personality, enrichment provision and health and welfare is of vital importance in ensuring animals are behaviourally, psychologically and physically sound. This PhD will involve exciting collaborations between behavioural, health and zoo scientists, and will use social and cognitively advanced (SCA) species (e.g. elephants, social primates) to develop evidence-based methodologies for understanding the science of enrichment.

Objectives & methods

1. Understand enrichment provision for SCA zoo-housed species via surveys and a systematic literature review

2. Quantify the importance of behavioural and anatomical adaptations in enrichment design and understand impacts of enrichment on behavioural and health parameters in SCA animals (using individual and group-level metrics) via zoo experiments

3. Identify evidence-based ways of reliably capturing impacts of enrichment using multi-faceted metrics (e.g. animal behaviour, affective state, social relationships, physical health) whilst considering practicality and feasibility of measures for industry

4. Develop practical and feasible best practice guidelines for enrichment provision including enrichment evaluation and refinement based on individual and group needs.

Improving animal welfare practices in Veterinary Education: an evidence-based approach

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Improving animal welfare practices in Veterinary Education: an evidence-based approach

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Holly Vickery, Helen Braid

University of Registration:

BBSRC Research Themes:

Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Animal Health and Welfare)

Project Outline

Animals are routinely used to teach clinical skills to veterinary students (McGreevy et al. 2007) yet there is a lack of legislation in relation to their use and little research quantifying welfare impacts. Within veterinary education (VE), requirements differ across accrediting bodies however providers are required to have animal use policies in place (AVMA, 2025; RCVS, 2023). Consultations with VE colleagues highlighted a lack of guidance on creating animal-use policies. Animals in VE are routinely exposed to a range of handling from potentially positive (e.g. light muscular palpation) to more aversive practicals (e.g. rectal examinations). Preliminary work undertaken by the project team has shown behavioural changes in companion and farm animals (Sadler et al., 2024). Students demonstrate a preference for teaching with live animals over the use of non-animal alternatives (Elcoro et al., 2013) and the practical nature of the activities is able to meet the needs of different learning styles (Vemulapalli et al., 2017). However, benefits for students must be weighed against animal welfare. There is an urgent need to quantify the impact of veterinary education provision on animals and to understand the impact of non-animal alternatives on students.

Objectives and methods

1. Determine current animal use and perceived impacts of VE on animals through a delphi consultation with colleagues in veterinary education. Consultation will focus on animal use, monitoring protocols and perceived areas of welfare compromise

2. Quantify the impacts of current VE practicals on animals used in VE through cross-disciplinary experiments. Analysis will focus on interactions between animal personality, health and practical type and animal responses

3. Understand the impacts of animal models in VE provision through assessing student experiences and skills development when using non-animal model alternatives.

4. Develop evidence-based best practice guidelines for animal use in VE

Co-supervisor on a projects with: Dr Holly Vickery, Dr Tharangani Herath, Dr Robert Mukiibi, Dr Lindsay Murray