EVENT: UWA Albany Skywest Public Lecture

Having read the title above, you will probably be asking: "Why on earth would anybody study sheep psychology?" Maybe even: "Who cares?" Of course, you may have had to deal with the behaviour of sheep and your experiences have led to the view that sheep are not very smart. But maybe they are smarter than you think! In fact, there is a lot to be gained by studying the behaviour of sheep. For scientists such as W/Prof Graeme Martin, curiosity is a major driving factor. However,a deep understanding of the psychology of this very important animal can have significant benefits for our sheep industries. Graeme was born in WA and grew up on a farm. At the University of WA, he gained a BSc in Agricultural Science and a PhD. He then spent 5 years working as a research scientist in France and Scotland before returning to Perth to a joint position shared by CSIRO and UWA. Professor Martin is currently Head of the School of Animal Biology and Deputy Director of the UWA Institute of Agriculture. He has published over 250 papers in international journals and books. His research team mostly works on the brain pathways and the hormones through which environmental factors influence the reproductive system.