Dr Kareemah Chopra

Biography

I am a quantitative animal behaviour and movement ecologist with over three years of postdoctoral experience. My research focuses on how animals use space and how their movement and behaviour change over time and in relation to environmental conditions, while also examining the role of social relationships. I completed an interdisciplinary PhD across the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science (MSA) and the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Essex in 2023. My research applied statistical modelling and social network analysis to investigate the behaviour, movement and social interactions of dairy cows. From 2023 to 2026, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the School of MSA, investigating dairy cow responses to heat stress within building microclimates as part of a project funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. I am continuing this work as a Visiting Fellow. The project is highly interdisciplinary, involving collaboration with researchers, farmers, policymakers, industry professionals and experts in building design. As a postdoctoral researcher at NIOO-KNAW in the Netherlands, I am using biologging data to investigate the movement, space use and habitat use of Barnacle geese, and how these patterns change over the wintering period. This research aims to improve our understanding of how geese use agricultural landscapes and support evidence-based, adaptive management of goose populations. I have also contributed to projects analysing farm dog movement using GPS tracking, classifying bustard behaviour using accelerometry, and using commercial virtual fencing data to investigate the space use and activity of grazing cattle and sheep.

Qualifications

• PhD University of Essex, (2023)