Lauren Young Position/Title: Graduate Student, MSc (Coursework) email: [email protected] Phone: Office: LinkedIn Twitter

Education:

• Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Science with a minor in Neuroscience (2021)
• Master of Science, Animal Behaviour and Welfare (current)

I am a current graduate student here at the University of Guelph completing my course-based MSc in Animal Behaviour in Welfare under the supervision of Dr. Georgia Mason as a member of the Mason Lab.

Research:

I have always had a great passion for learning, and combined with my passion for animals and animal rights, this culminated in my desire to pursue my Master's degree and build my understanding of animal behaviour and their welfare. With my background in biomedical science, I was very interested in focusing on the welfare of animals in a laboratory setting, specifically laboratory mice. Mice are one of the most used laboratory animals worldwide, and they are used across a variety of disciplines as animal models, including neuroscience, genetic, oncology and immunology research.

My research specifically focuses on a possibly abnormal behaviour seen in laboratory mice called barbering. Barbering is when mice pluck fur/whiskers from their cagemates, and sometimes from themselves. This behaviour may be abnormal as it shares similarities with trichotillomania, a human hair-plucking disorder, and it may also lead to neagtive impacts for victims receiving barbering, because losing whiskers deprives mice of tactile sensation. My research goal is to further understand and analyze the risk factors of barbering behaviour and its true welfare significance by testing physiological, social and mood changes in mice that are barbered. Another goal of mine is to investigate possible treatments or methods to reduce prevalence of this behaviour. I am excited to begin my research investigations in the coming months.

Other Relevant Experience:

I am currently working as an intern for the North American 3R's Collaborative (NA3RsC), an organization that partners with institutions across academia and industry to promote the implementation of the 3R's (reduce, replace and refine) of laboratory animal use in research. My work began with coding qualitative responses from a survey on current beliefs/practices of tunnel handling laboratory mice. This work has progressed to the writing and development of a conference presentation and manuscript reporting the findings of this survey in collaboration with Dr. Megan LaFollette. My future work with the NA3RsC will also include similar coding of a survey on compassion fatigue in individuals who work with research animals.

I have also helped edit and collect data for manuscripts with other researchers in and out of the Mason Lab including Aileen, Basma and Agustina. These include a methods manuscript of the first validated judgement bias task with laboratory mice, as well as a manuscript discussing inactive-but-awake behaviour and its possible relation to depression in laboratory mice.

Other Interests:

Outside of academics, I have a passion for volunteering in the local Guelph community through the Canadian Red Cross and St. Joseph's Health Centre Guelph. I also love spending time reading in local coffee shops, outdoors exploring local trails or skateboarding, and visiting my family in my hometown of Niagara.