Dr Cassandra Raby, FHEA
Currently a Teaching Fellow at the University of Leeds (University Profile)
I am also collaborating with the University of Liverpool, working on the SAVSNET project.
Additionally, I am researching animal behaviour and health with the Tsaobis Baboon Project, and developing an understanding academic conferences in the wake of COVID-19.
PhD Primate Parasite Ecology, University of Liverpool (and Institute of Zoology, ZSL)
My research focuses on the behavioural ecology of wild primates across multiple spatial scales, from continental-level to individual-level to explore how behaviour drives parasite transmission. Chapter titles:
Macroecological variation in baboon gastrointestinal parasite communities: patterns and processes.
Movement behaviour and gastrointestinal parasite infections in wild baboons: ecological traps and avoidance behaviours.
Exploring the association between social network position and gastrointestinal parasite infections.
Assessing the influence of inbreeding, immune gene diversity, and genotype-by-environment interactions on parasite infection in wild baboons.
MSc Wild Animal Biology, Pass with Merit, Royal Veterinary College
Case reports: animal welfare and captive animal management, conservation, and animal health.
Thesis title: Endoparasite richness and cortisol in wild baboons.
BSc (Hons) Zoology, Upper Second Class, University of Nottingham
NERC Case award for PhD research, totalling £86,451 (with Dr Guy Cowlishaw and Prof Andy Fenton). I conceived the research project and wrote the application.
Erasmus+ Mobility, €500 for training in pedagogy and inclusive fieldwork practices at CERES International.
Daisy Balogh grant, £1000, from the Institute of Zoology.
British Society of Parasitologists, £200, Award for Best Poster
Postdoctoral Research Associate. SAVSNET vaccine preventable diseases. University of Liverpool.
Using veterinary surveillance data to explore trends of vaccinations and vaccine preventable diseases in small companion animals.
Research Fellow. Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. University of Leeds.
Working on a mixed methods study into the drivers and restrictors of inclusivity in the workplace.
Laboratory Technician. Microbial paleoecology of peatlands. University of Leeds.
I acquired practical expertise in deriving proxy records of environmental change through the identification of testate amoeba species from peatlands.
Research Technician. Gastrointestinal parasites of baboons. Institute of Zoology, ZSL.
Research Technician. Polymer chromatography. Tepha Inc, Massachusetts, USA.
Visiting Lecturer. University of Roehampton. MSc Primatology; MSc Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour; BSc Zoology
PBL facilitator. Royal Veterinary College. MSc Wild Animal Biology; MSc Wild Animal Health.
Tutor. Royal Veterinary College. MSc Wild Animal Biology; MSc Wild Animal Health.
Guest lecturer. Wiltshire College. BSc Animal Science and Management.
Publication and peer-review records
Publons ID: AAD-4095-2020
ORCID: 0000-0001-7065-0306
Cusick, J. A., George, E. A., Greenway, E. G., Watve, M., Graham, K., & Raby, C. L. (2024). Is it time to get over the X? Assessing the global impact and future of social media conferences in animal behaviour. Animal Behaviour, 213, 33-50.
Raby, C.L., et al. (2022) An inclusive venue to discuss behavioural biology research: the first global Animal Behaviour Twitter Conference. Animal Behaviour. 187: 191-207
Mallalieu, J., Carrivick, J. L., Quincey, D. J., & Raby, C. L. (2021). Ice-marginal lakes associated with enhanced recession of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Global and Planetary Change, 202, 103503.
Raby, C.L. & Madden, J.R. (2021). Moving academic conferences online: Aids and barriers to delegate participation. Ecology and Evolution.
Raby, C.L. & Madden, J.R. (2021). Moving academic conferences online: Understanding patterns of delegate engagement. Ecology and Evolution.
Dezeure, J., Dagorette, J., Baniel, A., Carter, A.J., Cowlishaw, G., Marshall, H.H., Martina, C., Raby, C.L, Huchard, E. (2020) Developmental transitions in body color in chacma baboon infants: implications to estimate age and developmental pace. American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
Swindles, G.T., Green, S.M., Brown, L., Holden, J., Raby, C.L., et al. (2016) Evaluating the use of dominant microbial consumers (testate amoebae) as indicators of blanket peatland restoration. Ecological Indicators, 69: 318-330
Swindles, G.T., Amesbury, M.J., Turner, T.E., Carrivick, J.L., Woulds, C., Raby, C., et al. (2015) Evaluating the use of testate amoebae for palaeohydrological reconstruction in permafrost peatlands. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 424: 111-122
Swindles, G.T., Holden, J., Raby, C.L., et al. (2015) Testing peatland water-table depth transfer functions using high-resolution hydrological monitoring data, Quaternary Science Reviews, 120: 107-117
Swindles, G.T., Reczuga, M., Lamentowicz. M., Raby, C.L., et al. (2014) Ecology of Testate Amoebae in an Amazonian Peatland and Development of a Transfer Function for Palaeohydrological Reconstruction. Microbial Ecology 68:284-98.
Fieldwork: I have designed and led research at the Tsaobis Baboon Project, Namibia, where I studied two troops of habituated chacma baboons. From this I have practical experience of behavioural, GPS, and ecological data collection, plus the collection of biological samples. As project leader I managed a team of 8 people living within a remote location. Other fieldwork experience includes mist netting birds in the UK and Europe. I was able to attend a WUN summer school on Arctic environments based in Yukon, Canada, funded through the University of Leeds.
Laboratory experience: Through my research into baboon gastrointestinal parasites, and testate amoeba in peat, I have experience with microscopy and microbial species identification.
GIS and remote sensing: I am skilled at analysing GIS data in R, plus experienced in using QGIS and ArcMap. Using optical satellite image archives (e.g. Landsat; MODIS; NOAA) I have extracted environmental data such as NDVI, rainfall, and temperature to process in R and Google Earth Engine.
Statistics: Extensive experience working in R for statistical analysis of quantitative data, working with mixed models analyses and spatial statistics.
2020: Pedagogy and inclusive fieldwork teaching practices. Erasmus+ course: Ceres International.
2018: Introduction to spatial statistics, BES Parasite and Pathogen workshop: Introduced to Google Earth Engine for remotely sensed data; introduced to R packages for spatial statistics.
2017: Introduction to QGIS: A two-day training course on QGIS. Institute of Zoology, ZSL.
2015: Project management, The future of disease ecology: BES SIG Early Career Event.
2014: First Aid training for expeditions in remote locations: Pass
2014: Tutor training The Brilliant Club: pedagogic and outreach training for widening participation.
Invited talks
2020: ‘Disease transmission in baboons: zoonotic risk and landscapes of disgust.’ University of Leeds, Behaviour, Ecology, and Evolution Seminar series.
Oral
2020: ‘Ecological traps and landscapes of disgust.’ Tsaobis Baboon Project conference, London.
2018: ‘Going over the same ground: repeated use of habitats impacts chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) exposure to parasites.’ British Ecological Society Annual Conference, Birmingham.
2018: 3-minute Teaser talk ‘Going over the same ground: repeated resource use in primates and the risk of ecological traps from parasite accumulation’ IIB Away Day, Liverpool.
2018: Speed talk ‘Going over the same ground: repeated resource use in primates and the risk of ecological traps from parasite accumulation’ EEID (Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease) conference, Glasgow.
2018: ‘Drivers of gastrointestinal parasitism in the genus Papio: a meta-analysis’ at the British Society of Parasitology Spring meeting, Aberystwyth.
2017: ‘To poo, or not to poo, that is the question’. Tsaobis Baboon Project conference, Montpellier.
2016: ‘Science communication and networking’. Undergraduate Ecological Careers Conference, British Ecological Society, London.
2014: ‘Seasons of disease: Using baboons in a seasonal environment to predict changes in disease risk due to climate change.’ IoZ student conference, Institute of Zoology, London.
Poster
2018: ‘Going over the same ground: repeated resource use in primates and the risk of ecological traps from parasite accumulation’ IIB Away Day, Liverpool.
2018: ‘Going over the same ground: repeated resource use in primates and the risk of ecological traps from parasite accumulation’ EEID (Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease) conference, Glasgow.
2015: ‘Seasons of Disease’. Poster Day Online, University of Liverpool
2014: ‘Seasons of Disease: Predicting changes in disease risk due to climate change’. British Society of Parasitology (BSP), 52nd Annual Spring meeting, Cambridge.
Presentation commendations
2015 Highly commended poster: University of Liverpool, Poster Day Online.
2014 Best Ecology poster: British Society of Parasitology, 52nd Annual Spring meeting, Cambridge.
2014 Best poster: British Society of Parasitology, 52nd Annual Spring meeting, Cambridge.
Invited outreach and communication
2020: Invited workshop panelist for BES: Finding new opportunities from catastrophes
2020: Invited guest for the Lab Out Loud podcast, special feature: Scientists Out Loud
2019: Invited speaker for the British Ecological Society’s Annual Meeting webinar series
2019: Contributor to the BES fieldwork guidebook
2017 and 2018: Invited speaker at the ZSL Animal Careers Conference
2017: Researcher for National Geographic’s Animal Fight Night series, via Arrow Media
2017: Contributor to New York Times bestselling book “Does it fart?”
2017: Interviewed by journalists, including: Washington Post; Buzzfeed; GayStarNews
Science communication and outreach
2016: Presented at a Science Station for the ZSL London Zoo Sunset Safari event
2015: Big Bang Fair North West: Interactive Project Patient Zero event
2014: Threshold music festival: Interactive Project Patient Zero event using mobile apps.
2013: Scientist for the Ecology Zone of ‘I’m A Scientist Get Me Out of Here’
Social committees
2016-2019: Organiser of Speed Talks at the Institute of Zoology, promoting internal communication.
2018: Organiser of SIG social events at the British Ecological Society annual conference.
Advance HE, Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Association of the study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB)
British Ecological Society (BES)
British Society of Parasitology (BSP)
Primate Society of Great Britain (PSGB)
