Research Associate – Comparative Psychology in Animals

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Kennett Square (Chester County); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Clinical Studies – New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania seeks a Research Associate to advance sow welfare research using non-invasive, automated methods, including computer vision, in a multidisciplinary team. You will perform controlled behavioral experiments on farms, analyze data with R, collect biomarkers, and contribute to publications while mentoring students, under the supervision of Dr.

Thomas Parsons.

Qualifications

• PhD in animal behavior, welfare, or related field.
• Strong analytical and statistical skills.
• Experience with animal behavioral research.
• Ability to work independently and on farms.
• Proficiency in R or similar data analysis tools.

Responsibilities

• Design, coordinate, and conduct controlled behavioral experiments.
• Manage on-farm research trials including animal handling.
• Implement and support computer vision systems for automated tracking.
• Collect and analyze biological samples (e.g., salivary cortisol).
• Conduct biomarker assays on collected samples.
• Perform behavioral assays such as open field and novel object tests.
• Process and analyze large datasets using statistical tools.
• Contribute to publications and mentor students.

Skills

Animal behavior

Statistical analysis

Independent work

On-farm research

R or similar tools

Education

PhD in relevant field

Tools

R

Job description

University of Pennsylvania: School of Veterinary Medicine: School of Veterinary Medicine - New Bolton Center

Location

Kennett Square, PA

Open Date

Sep 25, 2026

Deadline

Oct 08, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description

The Department of Clinical Studies – New Bolton Center is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to join a multidisciplinary research team focused on developing novel, non-invasive, automated, and objective approaches to assessing sow welfare and well-being. The successful candidate will play a central role in executing controlled behavioral experiments, implementing computer vision-based monitoring systems, and researching chronic biomarkers of welfare in pigs at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s Swine Teaching and Research Center.

This position involves a combination of on-farm experimental work, data acquisition using advanced sensing technologies, and quantitative data analysis, with close collaboration with the Principal Investigator, Dr. Thomas Parsons, and collaborators in animal behavior, engineering, and data science. The overarching goal is to generate robust, animal-based data to inform evidence-based improvements in sow housing systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, coordinate, and conduct controlled behavioral experiments.
• Manage and execute on-farm research trials, including animal handling and monitoring.
• Implement and support computer vision systems for automated behavioral tracking.
• Collect and process biological samples (e.g., salivary cortisol).
• Conduct biomarker assays on these biological samples.
• Conduct behavioral assays such as open field and novel object tests.
• Process and analyze large datasets using statistical tools.
• Contribute to publications and reports.
• Train and mentor students.

Working Conditions

A combination of laboratory, office, and farm-based work. Regular interaction with animals.

Qualifications:

• PhD in a relevant field (animal behavior, animal welfare, animal science…)
• Experience with animal behavioral research.
• Strong analytical and statistical skills.
• Proficiency in R or similar tools.
• Ability to work independently and on farms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with computer vision or machine learning.
• Familiarity with swine production systems.
• Experience with sensor technologies.
• Prior publications.
• Postdoctoral experience.
• Grant writing experience.
• Veterinary training.