Speaker bio page for Nikki Kells

Bio

Nikki undertook a PhD at Massey in 2013 looking at the development of acute and longer-term pain associated with tail docking of piglets, along with strategies to mitigate this. In 2017 she commenced a Postdoctoral Fellowship examining bobby calf welfare across the New Zealand dairy supply chain. Nikki was appointed Senior Lecturer in Animal Welfare in December 2018.

Research interests include:

• Welfare assessment of stunning and killing methods
• Pain assessment and mitigation
• Development of novel pain biomarkers
• Developmental aspects of conscious awareness and pain perception
• Welfare implications of respiratory compromise
• Assessment and promotion of positive welfare