• ul. Postępu 36A, Jastrzębiec

    05-552 Magdalenka, Polska

  • sekretariat@igbzpan.pl

    tel. +48 22 736-70-00
    fax +48 22 756-16-99

Irene Camerlink, PhD

Dr hab. Irene Camerlink is Associate Professor (habilitated) at the Department of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. She studies animal behaviour and welfare with a particular emphasis on the social behaviour of pigs. Other areas of interest are interdisciplinary research, early life development, animal welfare, epigenetics, neuroscience and animal communication.

Research team

Dr Sarah Jowett – Postdoctoral researcher (2022-2026). Topic: Social dynamics and the establishment and maintenance of close social ties.

   Jowett, S. L., Barker, Z. E., & Amory, J. R. (2023). Preferential associations in an unstable social network: applying social network analysis to a dynamic sow herd. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, 1166632. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1166632

 

Sunil Khatiwada – PhD Student (2022-2026). PhD topic: The importance of social relationships for pigs’ behavioural expression, health and fitness.

Khatiwada, S., Paudel, P. K., Chalise, M. K., & Ogawa, H. (2020). Comparative ecological and behavioral study of Macaca assamensis and M. mulatta in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal. Primates, 61, 603-621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-020-00810-9

Piero Seddaiu – PhD Student (2022-2026). PhD topic: Adaptive significance of social touch in group-living mammals.

Coralie Galvagnon – PhD student (2023-2027). PhD topic: The impact of early life environment and (epi)genetics on animal cognition using a neuroepigenetic approach.

Inés Sánchez García – MSc student Edinburgh University (2023). MSc topic: The role of motivation on the outcome of cognitive tests in pigs.

Past students

Nicole Maffezzini – MSc student (2021).

Maffezzini, N., Turner, S. P., Bolhuis, J. E., Arnott, G., & Camerlink, I. (2023). Third-party intervention and post-conflict behaviour in agonistic encounters of pigs (Sus scrofa). Frontiers in zoology, 20(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-023-00508-w

Paola Iglesias – MSc student Edinburgh University (2021).

Iglesias, P. M., & Camerlink, I. (2022). Tail posture and motion in relation to natural behaviour in juvenile and adult pigs. Animal, 16(4), 100489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2022.100489

Katja Zumer – MSc student Edinburgh University (2023). MSc topic: The role of sow-piglet contact in piglets’ social cognitive abilities.

Current research projects

2023 – 2027 (PI). NCN PRELUDIUM BIS 4: 2022/47/O/NZ8/01909. The impact of early life environment and (epi)genetics on animal cognition using a neuroepigenetic approach (Badanie wpływu środowiska na wczesnym etapie życia i (epi)genetyki na procesy poznawcze u zwierząt w kontekście neuroepigenetyki).

2022 – 2026 (PI). NCN PRELUDIUM BIS 3: 2021/43/O/NZ8/00711. Adaptive significance of social touch in group-living mammals (Adaptacyjne znaczenie „dotyku socjalnego” u grupowo żyjących ssaków).

2021 – 2025 (PI). NCN OPUS 20: 2020/39/B/NZ8/02508. The importance of social relationships and social bonds for animals’ behavioural expression, health and fitness - pigs as a model to explore underlying physiological mechanisms (Znaczenie relacji i więzi socjalnych dla behawioru, zdrowia i długowieczności zwierząt - świnie jako model badania mechanizmów fizjologicznych).

2021 (PI). NCN MINIATURA: 2020/04/X/NZ8/01042. Validating the existence of social bonds in domestic animals through the study of affiliative behaviour and spatial proximity (Udokumentowanie istnienia więzi społecznych u zwierząt domowych poprzez badanie zachowań afiliacyjnych i ich odległości przebywania).

2022 – 2026 (Co-investigator). FORMAS (Sweden). Are cognitive effects derived from an early life barren environment reversible? An integrative approach in pigs to understand neuro-epigenetic reversibility.

2022 – 2026 (Science Communication Coordinator). COST Action CA21124 - LIFT: Lifting farm animal lives – laying the foundations for positive animal welfare.

2022 – 2026 (Collaborator). Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation: aWISH2.0 Animal Welfare Indicators at the Slaughter House.

Scientific achievements

Over 60 peer-reviewed publications, 2 edited books, 5 book chapters. Hirsch index 22.

  1. Camerlink, I., Scheck, K., Cadman, T., & Rault, J. L. (2023). Effects of preferential social associations on pigs’ response to weaning. animal, 17(6), 100846.
  2. Camerlink, I., Farish, M., Arnott, G., & Turner, S. P. (2022). Sexual dimorphism in ritualized agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs of Sus scrofa. Frontiers in zoology, 19(1), 1-11.
  3. Camerlink, I., Scheck, K., Cadman, T., & Rault, J. L. (2022). Lying in spatial proximity and active social behaviours capture different information when analysed at group level in indoor-housed pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 246, 105540.
  4. Camerlink, I., Nielsen, B. L., Windschnurer, I., & Vigors, B. (2021). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on animal behaviour and welfare researchers. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105255.
  5. Camerlink, I., & Ursinus, W. W. (2020). Tail postures and tail motion in pigs: A review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105079.
  6. Camerlink, I., Turner, S. P., Farish, M., & Arnott, G. (2019). Advantages of social skills for contest resolution. Royal Society Open Science, 6(5), 181456.
  7. Camerlink., I., Coulange, E., Baxter, E.M., Turner, S.P. (2018) Facial expression as a potential measure of both intent and emotion. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 17602.
  8. Camerlink, I., Menneson, S., Turner, S. P., Farish, M., & Arnott, G. (2018). Lateralization influences contest behaviour in domestic pigs. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 12116.
  9. Camerlink, I., Farish, M., D’Eath, R., Arnott, G., & Turner, S. (2018). Long term benefits on social behaviour after early life socialization of piglets. Animals, 8(11), 192.
  10. Peden, R. S., Turner, S. P., Boyle, L. A., & Camerlink, I. (2018). The translation of animal welfare research into practice: the case of mixing aggression between pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science,204, 1-9.

 

Books

Camerlink, I. (2020). Animal Welfare in Practice: Pigs. Sheffield: 5m Publishing.

Camerlink, I. (2021). Bridging Research Disciplines to Advance Animal Welfare Science

A Practical Guide. Egham, UK: CABI. ISBN 9781789247886.

 

Organizational activity and dissemination

Editor-in-chief for Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Review Editor for Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences

Columnist for the international magazine PigProgress

 

Links to professional profiles

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3427-2210

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irene_Camerlink