Hormonal markers of animal welfare
How do we assess animal welfare in a zoological setting?
Investigating novel, non-invasive markers of animal health, reproduction, and metabolism to improve management techniques and maximize the welfare of animals in human care.
Ph.D. Candidate Charles Ritzler, analyzing steroid hormones in octopus dermal mucus as part of his dissertation investigating the impact of zoo habitat design on animal welfare.
Dr. Diana Koester, Research Curator and endocrinologist at CMZ, investigates relationships between zoo environment and husbandry and hormonal indicators of welfare.
CWRU Ph.D. Candidate and CMZ Graduate Research Associate Kaylin Tennant, detecting insulin concentrations from saliva for her dissertation on physiological drivers of abnormal behaviors in zoo-housed gorillas.
A Selection of Peer Reviewed Publications
Bold = BioScience Alliance Affiliates
Amendolagine Laura, Pam Dennis, Elena Less, Dawn Leeds, Chelsea Clark, Diana C. Koester. Validation of the measurement of progestagen and glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in feces and analysis through anxiolytic medication administration to facilitate social pairing of an Allen’s swamp monkey (Allenopithecus nigroviridis). International Society of Wildlife Endocrinology 7th Conference Proceedings, 2019.
Amendolagine Laura, Tad Schoffner, Lynn Koscielny, Mandi Schook, Deb Copeland, James Casteel, Brianna Duff, Diana C. Koester. In-house monitoring of steroid hormone metabolites in urine informs breeding management of a giant anteater (Myrmechophaga tridactyla). Zoo Biology, 2018. 37:40-45.
Leeds Austin, Pam Dennis, Kristen E. Lukas, Tara S. Stoinski, Mark A. Willis, Mandi Wilder Schook. Validating the use of a commercial enzyme immunoassay to measure oxytocin in unextracted urine and saliva of the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Primates, 2018. 59(1):499-515.
Wark, Jason, Laura Amendolagine, Kristen E. Lukas, Christopher W. Kuhar, Patricia M. Dennis, Charles T. Snowdon, Tad Schoffner, Mandi W. Schook. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite responses to management stressors and social change in four species of callitrichine monkeys. Primates, 2016. 57(2):267-277.
Fuller, Grace, Mary Ann Raghanti, Patricia M. Dennis, Christopher W. Kuhar, Mark A. Willis, Mandi Wilder Schook, Kristen Lukas. A comparison of nocturnal primate behavior in exhibits illuminated with red and blue light. Applied Animal Behavior Science, 2016. 184:126-134.
Baird, Bonnie A., Christopher W. Kuhar, Kristen E. Lukas, Laura A. Amendolagine, Grace A. Fuller, James Nemet, Mark A. Willis, Mandi W. Schook. Program animal welfare: Using behavioral and physiological measures to assess the well-being of animals used for education programs in zoos. Applied Animal Behavior Science, 2016. 176:150-162.