Dr Carrie Ijichi
Carrie teaches across the School in subjects for Bioveterinary and Veterinary Sciences, as well as on our postgraduate courses. This is supported by her research in the field of equine behaviour, welfare, pain recognition and cognition. Carrie is also the Research Degrees Tutor for the School and welcomes enquiries about studying for a PhD.
Carrie teaches on behaviour, welfare, cognition, research methods, ethics and equine handling related sessions. Having owned horses for most of her life and working to rehabilitate neglected and abused horses in preparation for rehoming, her research naturally focuses on this species. In particular, she investigates how to improve the recognition of pain and stress by understanding individual differences in tolerance and expression of negative affective states.
Recently, Carrie has led teams on several projects funded by The Horse Trust. The largest has shed light on the importance of good welfare in improving equine cognition and provided some of the first evidence of horses being able to behave strategically which led to global media attention.
Carrie joined us after 10 years as a Senior Lecturer in two previous universities. Her previous roles included setting up a Centre to support student academic performance and confidence which evidenced significant improvements in degree outcomes and was referenced specifically in the awarding of TEF Gold. She also worked as Deputy Director of Doctoral Programmes to support postgraduate researchers in their PhD studies and to build a community within the school.
Carrie has supervised two PhD candidates to successful completion.
- Research Degrees Tutor
- ILM5, International Leadership & Management Level 5, City & Guilds of London Institute, 2017
- PhD Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 2013
- MSc Animal Behaviour & Welfare, Queen's University Belfast, 2009
- BMus Music, Queen's University Belfast, 2007
- Personality and coping strategies
- Pain recognition
- Individual differences in stress resilience and expression
- Cognition
- Hemispheric Lateralisation
- Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, 2016
Carrie has been involved in several projects: one investigated links between personality, physiology and coping strategies in horses. This project resulted in the first fully validated equine personality assessment tool, held to the gold standards of human personality research. In addition, it produced important evidence that compliance in horses results in higher long-term stress.
Another PhD project studied the interconnectedness between welfare, arousal and cognitive performance in horses. This demonstrated the importance of day-to-day well-being and optimal stress responses for cognitive performance. It also provided evidence of Model Based Learning in horses, a capacity previously thought to be beyond equine capabilities.
Throughout her research career, she has returned to the investigation of how personality contributes to our understanding of individual variation in response to pain, both in behavioural expression and the underlying experience of the pain. This is a complex problem in the treatment of painful conditions. She is currently involved in projects ranging from trauma recognition and management in Asiatic Black bears, to the welfare impacts of castration and how personality impacts on this, and on how coping strategies in horses related to stress resilience, both in horses.
Carrie welcomes inquiries on studying for a PhD from candidates who have, or are about to complete, their MSc or MRes. Potential candidates who have substantial experience within a relevant professional field are also welcome to contact her.
Key publications:
- Evans, Cameron-Whytock & Ijichi (2024). Whoa, No-Go: Evidence consistent with strategy use during an inhibitory task in horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
- Evans, Cameron-Whytock & Ijichi* (2024). Eye understand: physiological measures as novel predictors of adaptive learning. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
- Jolivald, Ijichi*, Hall, & Yarnell (2023). The mane factor: compliance is associated with increased hair cortisol in the horse. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
- Lush & Ijichi* (2018). A preliminary investigation into personality and pain in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour.
Use the links below to view their profiles:
- I feel your pain: investigating the association between personality, pain expression and emotional states in horses
- Learning on the blink: spontaneous eye blink rate as a predictor of adaptive learning in an equine model
- Choosing sides: lateral bias as a novel and non-invasive tool for assessing coping style and welfare risk in horses
- Investigating psychological issues in bears: using the emotional language to identify and manage trauma-related behavioural problems
- Wells & Ijichi. The Horse Trust (2024)
- Ijichi, Cameron-Whytock & Evans. The Horse Trust (2021)
- Ijichi, Briefer-Freymond & Dalla Costa. The Horse Trust (2020)
- Ijichi, Evans, & Smith. PhD funding: Vice Chancellor’s Bursary NTU (2021)
- Farrell, Ijichi & Dean. Strategic Excellence Initiative, Higher Education Academy (2015)
- Ijichi Travel Grant, Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (2011; 2012)
- Ijichi & Elwood. PhD funding: Department of Education & Learning (2010)
- The Horse Trust, 2023
- Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Conference International, Bielefeld, Germany, 2023
- International Society for Applied Ethology International, Tallin, Estonia, 2023
- International Society for Applied Ethology Regional Conference, Harper Adams, 2023
- International Society for Equitation Science, International Annual General Meeting Plenary talk, 2023
- CAFRE Enniskillen Plenary Talk, 2022
- International Society for Equitation Science, Hartpury, UK, 2022
- International Society for Applied Ethology, Nottingham, 2020
- International Society for Equitation Science, Rome, 2018
- Medical and Veterinary Society of Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, 2018
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, 2016
- Centre for Recording Achievement Webinar, 2016
- Higher Education Academic, Strategic Excellence Initiative Conference, London, 2016
- Clinic of Zoo Animals, Exotic pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, 2014
- Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Conference, Aberystwyth, 2013
Email: Email:Dr Carrie Ijichi
Use the links below to view their profiles: