Dr Kareemah Chopra

Biography

I am a biostatistician with a passion for improving animal health, welfare and management through the analysis of behaviour and movement, utilising novel sensor technologies. I completed my interdisciplinary PhD in both the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science (MSA) and the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Essex in 2023. My research focused on applying statistical modeling and social network analysis techniques to study the behaviour and movement of dairy cows. From 2023 to 2026, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the School of MSA, investigating dairy cow heat stress within building microclimates, a project funded by Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council. I am currently finishing this work as a Visiting Fellow. My work is highly collaborative, involving researchers, industry professionals, and stakeholders from diverse fields, including farmers, policymakers, and experts in building design. Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at NIOO-KNAW (Wageningen, Netherlands). I am validating a spatio-temporal model predicting goose grazing behaviour by comparing model outputs with real-world tracking data. My work involves analysing geese movement patterns and habitat use, and how these may change seasonally. My research aims to support the development of evidence-based strategies for the adaptive, international management of goose populations. Beyond this, I have contributed to projects analysing farm dog movement using GPS trackers, cataloging bustard behaviours with accelerometers, and demonstrating the use of commercial virtual fencing technology to map the space use and activity of grazing cattle and sheep.

Qualifications

• PhD University of Essex, (2023)