Professor Michael Mendl

I research the links between affective (emotional) and cognitive processes, in particular the ways in which attention, memory and decision-making both influence and are influenced by affective state. Our current BBSRC-funded work investigates affect-induced modulation of decision-making - 'cognitive biases' - and its utility as a novel indicator of animal affect and welfare. I work with psychologists Dr Liz Paul and Prof Iain Gilchrist, computational welfare biologist Dr Vikki Neville, and PhD students Molly Davidson and Nick Cherbanich. We collaborate with theoretical and computational neuroscientist Prof Peter Dayan to use computational modelling methods in both animals and humans to understand the links between affective state and decision-making. I am also interested in the evolution and function of affective states and sentience, developing new measures of animal emotion and welfare (including automated / machine learning methods), and understanding more about animal cognition, emotion, personality (especially individual differences in resilience), social behaviour, and the influence of early experience on development. Some of these topics are the focus of a number of current grant-funded projects and PhD studentships listed below. I head the Bristol Vet School Animal Welfare and Behaviour Research Community, and led the UK Animal Welfare Research Network for its first 6 years before handing over to Dr Gareth Arnott who is leading it through its next 3. AWRN continues to be excellently managed by Dr Poppy Statham who is based in Bristol. Please join us at awrn.co.uk. I am a member of various grant panels (e.g. UKRI FLF, BBSRC) and advisory bodies (e.g. International Scientific Advisory Board of INRAE metaprogramme on Health & Welfare of Farmed Livestock), and on the Editorial Board of the new journal Affective Science.

[2023] Neville, V., Mendl, M., Paul, E.S., Series, P. & Dayan, P. (2023). A primer on the use of computational modelling to investigate affective states, affective disorders and animal welfare in non-human animals. Cognitive and Affective Behavioral Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-023-01137-w [2023] Neville, V., Lind, J., Mendl, E., Cozma, N.E., Paul, E.S. & Mendl, M. (2023). A mapping review of refinements to laboratory housing and husbandry. Nature Lab Animal. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-023-01124-1 [2023] Paul, E.S., Browne, W., Mendl, M.T., Caplen, G., Held, S., Trevarthen, A. & Nicol, C.J. (2023). Affective trajectories: are hens influenced by positive and negative changes in their living conditions? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 261, 105883. https://doi.org/10.1016