PhD Studentship: Welfare in a Snapshot: Thermal Imaging for Real-Time and Cumulative Welfare Assessment in Hens

Welfare in a Snapshot: Thermal Imaging for Real-Time and Cumulative Welfare Assessment in Hens.

DoS: Dr Katherine Herborn (katherine.herborn@plymouth.ac.uk, tel.: +44 1752 584477)

2^nd Supervisor: Dr Mark Whiteside (mark.whiteside@plymouth.ac.uk)

3^rd Supervisor: Dr Ian S. Howard (ian.howard@plymouth.ac.uk)

4^th Supervisor: Dr Oliver Tills (oliver.tills@plymouth.ac.uk)

Applications are invited for a four-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 1^st October 2025. This work was supported by the Research England E3 funded Centre of Research excellence in Intelligent and Sustainable Productive Systems (CRISPS) at the University of Plymouth.

Project Description

As birds detect, respond to, and recover from stress, their skin undergoes a characteristic pattern of temperature change. Thermal imaging captures this process continuously and non-invasively, opening new possibilities for stress research and real-time welfare monitoring. In this project, the PhD student will explore how a hen’s welfare, health, and perception of her environment can be encoded in thermal stress responses. This will be investigated first at the individual level via a controlled, small-scale experiment, and then at the flock level via commercial data collection with the support of the Lakes Free Range Egg Company.

The supervisory team will support the PhD student in developing a highly interdisciplinary skill set encompassing experimental design for physiological and cognitive research, as well as applications of computational modelling and machine learning approaches within thermal biology and animal welfare science. The goal is to develop new concepts and tools for welfare and stress assessment in hens, which could have wide-ranging applications across livestock systems and other research contexts. With this experience, the PhD student will be well-placed to pursue academic and industry careers that promote welfare in Precision Livestock Farming or Big Data approaches within animal science.

Eligibility

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree or a Master’s qualification in biological sciences, computer science, or data science (or similar). We are looking for an applicant with experience in statistical analysis or computer modelling (e.g., using Python or MATLAB), ideally both, and a keen interest in further developing and applying these skills within animal welfare science. Practical experience or enthusiasm for working with animals is essential. A current full driving licence and willingness to travel, to access partner farms, is desirable. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the project and our industry collaboration, a willingness to learn and engage with the team is equally important.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.

The studentship is supported for 4 years and includes Home or International tuition fees plus a stipend of £20,780 per annum 2025/26 rate (UKRI).

NB: The studentship is supported for four years including a 6 month ‘writing-up period. There is no further funding beyond the four-year period.

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Katherine Herborn (Katherine.Herborn@plymouth.ac.uk).

To apply for this position please Click on the Apply button above.

Please see here for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application.

The closing date for applications on 28th March 2025. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an informal interview on either the 8^th and 9^th May 2025, followed by a formal interview on a date to be confirmed.

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