RESEARCH
WHAT WE ARE:
The IAABC Foundation Research team works to diligently produce, review, build and mentor empirically supported research in an effort to provide quality education on animal behavior, training, and welfare. Our research additionally ensures that animal behavior and welfare areas continue to progress providing new information and informing new interventions and approaches to care.
WHAT WE DO:
We work independently as a research team to provide quality research while additionally supporting other research teams in their endeavors! We collaborate and mentor others to help produce the highest quality research in animal behavior, training and welfare.
ETHICS:
When conducting research, our team ensures ethical guidelines are strictly followed to protect participants, both human and animal. We work with Institutional Review Boards and Institutional Animal Care and Use committees to ensure we uphold the highest standards of care and research.
WHO WE SERVE:
We work with researchers and professionals from a wide range of areas and occupations and are open to collaboration with those who promote the welfare of animals through positive training techniques and fear free approaches.
Interested in submitting a proposal?
Learn more and apply through our Research Proposal Form below.
Dr. Wailani Sung is a Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist dedicated to improving the wellbeing of animals and strengthening the human–animal bond. Dr. Sung currently serves as Senior Director of Animal Admissions and Wellbeing at Joybound People and Pets in Walnut Creek, California. In this role, she oversees three key areas: the transfer of pets from municipal shelters, the assessment and management of the shelter’s behavior population, and the training classes and consultations provided to privately owned pets. She also advises animal shelters nationwide on individual case evaluations and the development of effective behavior programs.
Valli Parthasarathy, DVM, DACVB, is the owner of Synergy Veterinary Behavior, a veterinary behavior specialty practice in Portland, Oregon. She works with families whose dogs, cats, birds, horses, and other species display behavior concerns, focusing on strengthening the human–animal bond through improved understanding and evidence-based treatment.
A passion for animal welfare, canine behaviour, has been the cornerstone of Tom’s (he/him) career, spanning over 15 years in shelter and rescue. This experience, alongside a drive to better support shelter animals, led Tom to found Simplifying Shelter Behaviour.
Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior, a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner.
Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University and the owner of Behavior Works Consulting, LLC. Susan has co-authored chapters on behavior change in five veterinary texts, and her popular articles have been translated into 17 languages. Susan teaches seminars and courses on animal learning online (How Behavior Works: Living & Learning with Animals), which has been attended by students from 64 countries so far. Susan consults with zoos and animal organizations around the world and teaches yearly for the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Animal Trainer Accreditation program. She was appointed to the Fish & Wildlife Service’s California Condor Recovery Team from 2002 – 2010, after which the team was retired due to the success of the birds in the wild. Currently, she is the Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Committee of American Humane Association (AHA) Film and TV Unit. In 2022, Susan was honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.
Mindy is a clinical assistant professor in the Animal Behavior Program at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI and instructor at Virginia Tech. She is a board-Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). 
Melissa, a lifelong equestrian and student of the horse, is a Certified Connection Training Coach, a Shawna Karrasch R+ Mastery Course – Santa Fe graduate, a Recognized Compassionate Equestrian member and facility owner, founder of Compassionate Horse Click and has been certified by American Riding Instructor’s Association in Dressage, Hunt Seat and Western Equitation for 25+ years.
Lindsay Palmer is a social and behavioral scientist with a PhD in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. In her research program, she examines psychological mechanisms that impact human and animal relationships in her work. In particular, she is interested in the complexity of human behavior and social cognition in relationships with animals to inform interventions geared toward improving these relationships.
Laurie Lawless, CDBC is a nationally recognized expert in shelter dog behavior, with over 16 years of in behavior, sheltering, leadership, consulting, and animal cruelty response. Her career was sparked in 2008 when she rescued an 85‑lb Boxer named Charlie – his behavioral challenges launched her into the world of professional dog behavior work, and she’s been “blaming Charlie” ever since.
Dr. Kristyn Vitale is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and an internationally recognized expert in cat behavior. She is a researcher and educator in animal behavior, companion animal welfare, and human-animal interaction. Vitale received a Master of Environmental Science from Miami University (USA), where she studied free-ranging cat social behavior, and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Oregon State University (USA), where she researched cat social cognition and human-animal interactions. She also served as a Visiting Research Fellow at Kyoto University (Japan) where she studied cross-cultural differences in the human-cat relationship. Vitale’s main area of expertise is focused on human-cat interactions, cat social behavior, and the impact of life experiences, such as cat training and socialization classes, on cat cognition. Her research has been internationally featured in media outlets such as Science and National Geographic, and in documentaries such as How the Cat Conquered the World (ARTE France) and Inside the Mind of a Cat (Netflix). She is the founder of Maueyes Cat Science and Education, an organization dedicated to enhancing cat welfare and strengthening the cat-human relationship through education, behavior consulting, and science outreach.
Dr. Spaulding has a PhD in biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior—and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She is the author of The Stress Factor in Dogs: Unlocking Resiliency and Enhancing Well-Being. Dr. Spaulding teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior through her website, www.sciencemattersllc.com. She also co-teaches the Carefree Companion Certification with Irith Bloom and serves as Vice President for the IAABC Foundation.
Katenna Jones accidentally discovered her career as a shelter volunteer in the late 90s and soon went on to earn a master’s from Brown University where she studied animal behavior, learning and cognition. Since then, Katenna has provided cat and dog behavior support to pet owners as well as educational services to various pet organizations around the World. Katenna is a published author and contributes regularly to publications, podcasts, and more. She is an Associated Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Cat and Dog Behavior Consultant, and Certified Fear Free Trainer. Katenna recently relocated to northern NY with her two cats and four chickens.
Dr. Julie Churchill is a Professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine–Nutrition. She completed dual residencies; internal medicine and clinical nutrition, and her PhD, at the UMN before joining the faculty.
Dr. JoAnna Platzer is an animal trainer and Zoos, Exotics, and Companion Animals lecturer in the department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Vermont. She earned her PhD in the Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare lab at Virginia Tech under Dr. Erica Feuerbacher. Her research interests spanned several facets of behavioral and welfare and included studies with pet dogs, shelter animals, horses, and dairy cattle. Before that, she attended the University of Florida where she majored in Zoology with an emphasis on animal behavior. After graduation, she participated in research on site fidelity of Mockingbirds with the University of Florida, social behavior of Fairy-wrens with Cornell University, and comparative cognition of canines with Yale University. She has worked as a professional dog trainer for pet and shelter dogs and has trained various domestic and exotic animal species for enrichment and low-stress husbandry in zoos, conservancies, and sanctuaries.
Jessica Wheatcraft is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and professional dog trainer who has worked with thousands of dogs for over 18 years. She specializes in dog to dog leash reactivity cases, with an emphasis on understanding each dog as an individual and thinking outside of the box to implement the most effective and humane training solutions. She mentors other trainers via her Leash Reactivity Mentorship for Professionals and works with pet parents virtually from all over the world. She is the founder and host of the Rethinking Reactivity Podcast and is passionate about helping reactive dogs and their humans live better lives together.
Irith Bloom helps people create choice-rich environments that enable companion animals to live in greater harmony with humans and make the entire household happier. She is faculty at both Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy and Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, on the Board of Directors of the IAABC Foundation, a member of the Advisory Board for Pets for Vets, Chair Emeritus of the Education Committee of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and a former CCPDT Board Member. She is a sought-after presenter, and her writing has been published many times, including in her book “Your Puppy and You: A step-by-step guide to raising a freak’n awesome dog.”
Dr. Gabriel Lencioni is a veterinarian and PhD student in Animal Welfare at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ) of the University of São Paulo (USP). His passion for the study of animal behavior and welfare ignited during his college years, prompting him to actively engage in organizing seminars, symposiums, courses, and other educational activities on the topic. Under the guidance of Professor Adroaldo José Zanella, Gabriel had the privilege to develop scientific projects and interact with esteemed professionals in the field. His research focuses on various aspects of animal welfare, with a particular emphasis on assessing affective states in horses using artificial intelligence, learning theory, ethical training for solving unwanted behaviors, and fear-free methodologies for veterinary interventions.
Since 2014, Dr. Berger has been a licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst providing a variety of behavior change services to human clients. In 2020, she completed her Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis, and in 2021 published research on combined therapy interventions for health and behavior. Dr. Berger has worked in the field of psychology as a clinician for over a decade, and has served as a psychology professor for many years. Dr. Berger additionally completed her study of positive reinforcement training strategies at the Victoria Stilwell Academy and became a VSA certified and Fear Free certified dog trainer. She currently runs a training private practice and serves as Director of Research for the IAABC Foundation.
Erin Jones, PhD, is a scholar-practitioner in canine behaviour and ethics based in Aotearoa New Zealand. As founder of the Merit Dog Project, Erin helps organisations and practitioners design agency-centred approaches to education and care. She is a Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant (IAABC ADT, CDBC; CANZ-ABC) and is an international speaker.
Emily Lewis has 24 years of professional experience as a dog trainer, shelter behavior consultant and vet tech. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC and operates Vermont Dog Behavior, LLC. She specializes in a wide variety of behavior issues, including human directed aggression. Due to the nature of the cases that she sees, Emily is often faced with families who have experienced trauma due to their dog’s behavior. She loves working with these clients to repair and improve their relationship with their dog, with an emphasis on meeting the needs at both ends of the leash. 
Dr. Courtney L. Sexton is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and member of the Dog Aging Project research consortium. With a background in evolutionary biology and the human-dog relationship, her current canine science research centers One Health and One Welfare principles. As a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), Courtney focuses on guiding people toward intentional living and bond forming with dogs. Courtney is a member of AAAS, the Animal Behavior Society, and the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ). She also serves as a member of the Communications and Community Building committee for ManyDogs Project. An accomplished writer, Courtney is passionate about scientific outreach and journalism, and often ropes her hound, Sonder, into helping out. As both a researcher and a communicator, she works with a diverse cadre of humans, animals, institutions, agencies, and organizations. She is a Virginia Tech Research & Innovation Scholar (2024), Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute Fellow (2022), AAAS Mass Media Fellow (2020), and DCCAH Arts & Humanities Fellow (2018; 2023; 2025; 2026).
Catja lives with a retired older cocker spaniel, who still loves to work, and a younger Australian Koolie, who is starting his first competitions. Since 2009, where she finished her instructors’ course via Canis academy, Catja has been working full-time with teaching on the topic of training, both online and at in-person workshops and at conferences. She is always on the path of continued education and curious to learn.
Amy Learn, VMD, DACVB is a board-certified specialist through American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.
Lawrence was born and raised in Washington, D.C. before relocating to NC to earn his bachelor’s degree in business management at North Carolina A&T State University. Upon graduating he was commissioned as an Army officer, where he served in duty stations in Arizona, Germany, and Iraq. While at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to recover from an illness during deployment, Lawrence became one of the first Servicemembers to complete the inaugural Dog Tags Program under the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA; then-called the Washington Humane Society).
Michelle Mullins CDBC, KPA CTP is the owner of Honest To Dog, LLC in Richmond, Virginia, USA and currently serves as the President of the IAABC Foundation Board of Directors. Michelle has been training dogs for 20 years and all of her work has the same objective – developing long, enriching relationships between pets and their people. In addition to her work in the pet product industry, she has worked with private clients for basic manners, puppy socialization, cooperative care training and through aggression issues. Michelle is passionate about a team approach, working closely with other trainers, certified behavior consultants and veterinary professionals.
Catja Pedersen lives with 2 Australian Koolies that develop her skills every day. Since 2009, when she finished her instructors’ course via Canis clicker training academy, Catja has been working full-time with teaching on the topic of training, both online and at in-person workshops and at conferences. She is always on the path of continued education and curious to learn. 
Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Cat Behavior Consultant who has been working with cats professionally for almost 25 years. She worked as a cat behavior specialist at the San Francisco SPCA for eight years before co-founding Feline Minds, where she offers assistance for cat owners, animal shelters, and corporations.
Dilara Göksel Parry was raised in Istanbul, Turkey and holds degrees in Psychology and in Comparative Literature from Oberlin College. She has worked in the animal welfare field for the majority of her professional life, including 12 years as the Cat Behavior Coordinator at the San Francisco SPCA. In 2008, she co-founded Feline Minds with Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, where they focus on private consultations to help cat guardians live harmoniously with their cats and consult with animal welfare organizations with an emphasis on improving cat sheltering practices. In addition to staying busy with Feline Minds, Dilara works part-time at Cat Town Oakland, an innovative, cage-free rescue for cats deemed unadoptable in traditional shelter settings.
Dr. Kristina Spaulding has been in the dog training and behavior profession for over 20 years. She has a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and a PhD in Biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior—and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She is particularly interested in stress, neurobiology, cognition, emotion, and well-being and how to apply these concepts to the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of behavior problems in dogs. She is an adjunct professor for Virginia Tech’s graduate program in Animal Behavior and Welfare. In addition, Dr. Spaulding teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior through her website and for the IAABC Foundation. She is the author of The Stress Factor in Dogs: Unlocking Resiliency and Enhancing Well-Being and regularly presents on canine behavior science at conferences and other events.