ÂAnna Wilkinson |
I joined the University of Lincoln in 2010 and am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Life Sciences. Before coming to Lincoln, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Vienna. My research focuses on understanding animal cognition as part of a biological framework. I have two main research areas: Cold-Blooded Cognition: I am interested in the way reptiles and amphibians perceive the world, how they learn about their environment and how they use and retain this information. Perception and Categorisation: I am interested in how animals process the vast amount of information that they perceive daily, why they attend to certain elements of their environment and how flexible their use of this information is. University of Lincoln staff page |
Postgraduate researchers
Anna Frohnwieser |
I am currently working as a PhD student at the University of Lincoln, investigating social cognition in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) by building a robot that can interact with them. To do this, I am looking at the animals’ perceptual capabilities including lateralized eye use and colour perception, focusing on how they perceive concpecifics. I did a diploma in zoology (equiv. MSc) at the University of Vienna (Austria) investigating picture-object recognition in pigeons (Columba livia) and a diploma in anthropology looking at the influence of personal space intrusions on walking behaviour in humans. University of Lincoln staff page |
Sophie Moszuti |
I am a postgraduate research student undertaking an MSc by research in Biology (Animal cognition and welfare) focusing on reptiles, including red-footed tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria). My research is focused on investigating methods of effectively assessing the welfare of reptiles. I am also involved in research analysing camera trap data obtained from a reserve in the Ecuadorian cloud forest which is an area that has not yet been investigated. I also have a keen interest in the use of working dogs in scent detection roles; my experience includes training and working dogs in victim detection as well as to carry out conservation work identifying the presence of target species. University of Lincoln staff page |
Josh Moss |
I joined the University of Lincoln in 2011 as an undergraduate and graduated the summer of 2014. I am now completing a MscRes in Animal Behaviour and Welfare (Biological Sciences) focusing on discrimination and categorisation in red footed tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria). My main body of research consists of expanding work done by Dr. Anna Wilkinson on how RF tortoises visually perceive the world around them and what characteristics they use to discriminate and categorise stimuli. I then hope to relate the results of these experiments to similar projects completed with species whose cognitive abilities are better understood, such as dogs and birds, in order to further our understanding of reptile cognition. As well as Animal Cognition I am also involved in research within other areas of reptilian behaviour such as conspecific/heterospecific familiarity, aural discrimination and gaze following. On a broader level I am interested in social learning (involved with research with juvenile Lepidoptera), animal behaviour, behavioural ecology, evolutionary ecology and animal welfare. University of Lincoln staff page |
Former lab members
Francesca Soldati |
I am broadly interested in animal ecology, animal cognition, plant-animal interactions and evolution. I am currently working on a project that aims to combine ecological processes with animal cognition by examining the role that frugivores “knowledge” plays on seed dispersal. The aim is to explore the cognitive processes involved in the foraging decisions and movement patterns using red-footed tortoises as a model species. University of Lincoln staff page |
Harry Siviter |
I am currently investigating the effects of egg incubation temperature on the cognition and behaviour of lizards (Pogona vitticeps). Prior to this I was an undergraduate at the University of Lincoln where I received a BSc in Animal behaviour. I have many different areas of research that include a broad range of disciplines. Some of the areas I am interested in are animal behaviour, animal cognition, behavioural ecology, conservation and animal welfare. I am also currently involved in projects investigating interspecific communication between humans and ring- tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) as well as monitoring camera trap data from the cloud forest in Ecuador. I am also working on a project looking into amphibian cognition. University of Lincoln staff page |
Stephan Reber |
I am interested in animal communication systems, and specifically in the cognitive capacities of receivers to extract information that goes beyond the perception of the signaling context. After a master thesis on meerkats’ social cognition, my current research focuses on the evolution of vocal communication in the Archosauria. I am investigating the potential of honest acoustic signals in American and Chinese alligators (Alligator mississippiensis/sinensis), as well as the abilities of Common ravens (Corvus corax) to perceive syntactical changes in the structure of vocal duets. Research on these extent archosaurians may even provide insight into the communication of extinct dinosaurs. University of Vienna staff page |
