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Hello everybody!
Hello everybody!
This page is reserved for extraordinary people who followed a scientific, academic path despite all possible life circumstances.
Here, you will see a wide diversity of stories from different people who have very different backgrounds, but somehow chose science as a profession.
Are you interested in sharing your life story?
You can send me an email here.
Juliana Wallner Werneck Mendes Story
Juliana Wallner Werneck Mendes Story
I was always fascinated with the idea of understanding why animals do what they do. So, while many things were incredibly challenging and unclear at the age of 18, choosing my bachelor was not. This choice led to the amazingly happy occurrence that was meeting Anabelle. We quickly bonded and started sharing this journey filled with fascinating classes, field trips, parties, and a fair share of tears. While Belle was discovering her passion for marine ecosystems, I was finding out that most animals that we studied were dead, which made it really hard to observe their behavior. So, I found out about the Comparative Psychology department, where they have an Animal Behavior program.
I was always fascinated with the idea of understanding why animals do what they do. So, while many things were incredibly challenging and unclear at the age of 18, choosing my bachelor was not. This choice led to the amazingly happy occurrence that was meeting Anabelle. We quickly bonded and started sharing this journey filled with fascinating classes, field trips, parties, and a fair share of tears. While Belle was discovering her passion for marine ecosystems, I was finding out that most animals that we studied were dead, which made it really hard to observe their behavior. So, I found out about the Comparative Psychology department, where they have an Animal Behavior program.
I was taking a couple classes there while I finished my bachelors and figured out exactly what I wanted to investigate. At the same time, I decided to take a course on dog training to have an alternative to academia, in case I decided on it. That turned out to be complementary instead of alternative, as I studied about domestication and how much dogs’ behavior changed in just a couple thousand years. This inspired me to start my master’s on the topic “visual communication between dogs and humans”. In the Dog Lab in the Institute of Psychology, my colleagues and I invited dog owners to bring their dogs to a study where they first could obtain a treat on their own, and then the task became impossible. We tested a group of dogs that lived inside the house and another that spent most of their time on yards, in addition to bringing this test to a shelter. We found out that shelter dogs looked more at the humans than the pet dogs when the treat became inaccessible, and that there were no clear differences in how pet dogs living inside or out communicated visually.
I was taking a couple classes there while I finished my bachelors and figured out exactly what I wanted to investigate. At the same time, I decided to take a course on dog training to have an alternative to academia, in case I decided on it. That turned out to be complementary instead of alternative, as I studied about domestication and how much dogs’ behavior changed in just a couple thousand years. This inspired me to start my master’s on the topic “visual communication between dogs and humans”. In the Dog Lab in the Institute of Psychology, my colleagues and I invited dog owners to bring their dogs to a study where they first could obtain a treat on their own, and then the task became impossible. We tested a group of dogs that lived inside the house and another that spent most of their time on yards, in addition to bringing this test to a shelter. We found out that shelter dogs looked more at the humans than the pet dogs when the treat became inaccessible, and that there were no clear differences in how pet dogs living inside or out communicated visually.
I recently defended my thesis, in which we showed that these animals can learn about the role of the partner in cooperative tasks, but that this is quite a challenging feat and depends on the context and on cues they receive during the task.
I recently defended my thesis, in which we showed that these animals can learn about the role of the partner in cooperative tasks, but that this is quite a challenging feat and depends on the context and on cues they receive during the task.
After that, my goal was to understand more about the differences between dogs and their closest living relatives – grey wolves. So, I turned to the Domestication Lab in Vienna, Austria. The lab studies pet dogs in Vienna, free-ranging dogs in Morocco, and pack-living dogs and wolves in a research center in Lower Austria. I got a PhD position in this group, and left Brazil to start this new journey. Here, I investigated how dogs and wolves cooperate.
After that, my goal was to understand more about the differences between dogs and their closest living relatives – grey wolves. So, I turned to the Domestication Lab in Vienna, Austria. The lab studies pet dogs in Vienna, free-ranging dogs in Morocco, and pack-living dogs and wolves in a research center in Lower Austria. I got a PhD position in this group, and left Brazil to start this new journey. Here, I investigated how dogs and wolves cooperate.
In addition to working with canids, I had the opportunity to study cooperation in free-living vervet monkeys in South Africa. Besides learning about the monkeys’ behavior, I learned things like how to cross a roaring river, how to react to a venomous snake in your garage, and to always check your T-shirt for bats.
In addition to working with canids, I had the opportunity to study cooperation in free-living vervet monkeys in South Africa. Besides learning about the monkeys’ behavior, I learned things like how to cross a roaring river, how to react to a venomous snake in your garage, and to always check your T-shirt for bats.
I have had an amazing, if challenging, time in my scientific career so far.
I have had an amazing, if challenging, time in my scientific career so far.
I hope to continue to learn more about animals and their interactions with us, and to share more of what fascinates me with other people.
I hope to continue to learn more about animals and their interactions with us, and to share more of what fascinates me with other people.
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