Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
My main areas of research involve using animal behaviour and other indicators to assess and understand animal welfare. More specifically my research interests are:
- Welfare assessment measures in cattle: this research involves finding reliable and practical methods for assessing welfare in on-farm conditions
- The use of precision livestock farming techiques to assess health and welfare
- Personality/behavioural traits in dairy and beef cattle: involved in a number of projects characterising personality or behavioural traits in cattle, the genetic basis for these traits and how they relate to health and welfare
- Effect of housing and management on the welfare of dairy cattle and calves
- Cognition and emotion: investigation of emotional expression of animals and recognition of those states by other animals
Projects
Current projects:
- ISCF TFP science and technology into practice: feasibility studies . (2020-2022; £225K).: Identifying best sensor technologies to deliver verifiable health & welfare, environment and processing quality benefits for dairy production. Led by Richard Dewhurst
- Greenanimo: National Programme 'European Scientific Networks' (2020-2023).
- Zoetis Europe Ltd.: Developing a Health-related Quality of Life Tools for bovine respiratory disease. £149K (2020-2022).
- RESAS A3.5 Practical solutions to difficult welfare problems 2022-27
- InnovateUK: D-FLOWS (D-Flows: Data for Livestock Optimisations for Wiser Supply Chains). £750K (2021-2023).
- Defra: Animal Health and Welfare, Productivity and Sustainability Impacts of Housed Cattle, 2022-2023 £60K
Supervision
PhD studentship (2018-2023): The effect of maternal care on the neurobiological, emotional and cognitive development of lambs
PhD studentship (2019-2023): Welfare assessment of salmon within aquaculture in Scotland
PhD studentship (2020-2024): Novel approaches to improving calf health: new technology and data analytics
PhD studentship (2021-2025): Using behaviour and technologies to detect early signs of disease in calves and laying hens
PhD studentship (2022-2026): Methods to assess canine mobility
Education/Academic qualification
PhD , University of Melbourne
1 Mar 1988 → 1 Mar 1992
Award Date: 5 May 1992
BSc (Hons), Massey University
2 Feb 1982 → 9 May 1986
Award Date: 9 May 1986
Fingerprint
- 12 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Transform Dairy Net
Haskell, M. (PI), March, M. (CoPI) & Ferguson, H. (CoPI)
1/06/24 → 31/05/27
Project: Research
-
CHERI: Calf Health Evaluation and Remote Inspection
Duthie, C.-A. (PI), Haskell, M. (CoI) & Bell, D. (CoI)
1/12/23 → 30/11/25
Project: Research
-
Calf housing and ventilation: CEVEC – Cost Effective Ventilated Environment for Calves
Bell, D. (CoI), Barraclough, R. (Researcher), Haskell, M. (PI), Duthie, C.-A. (PI) & Mason, C. (CoI)
1/10/23 → 31/08/25
Project: Research
-
DETECT: A Non-Invasive and Automated Real-Time Disease Detection Tool for Cattle
Duthie, C.-A. (PI) & Haskell, M. (CoI)
1/09/23 → 31/08/26
Project: Research
-
RESAS 22-27: SRUC-a3-6 Practical On-farm Solutions For Welfare And Sustainability: Positive Welfare
Baxter, E. (PI), Lawrence, A. (CoI), Dwyer, C. (CoI), Wemelsfelder, F. (CoI) & Haskell, M. (CoI)
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
-
The lives of calves from organic dairy farms
Barth, K., Foske Johnsen, J., Haskell, M., Ivemeyer, S. & Vaarst, M., 27 Feb 2025, Advances in organic dairy cattle farming. Vaarst, M., Roderick, S. & Whistance, L. (eds.). Cambridge, UK: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, p. 99-130 31 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
-
Associations of lameness with milk composition, fatty acid profile, and milk coagulation properties in mid-lactation high-yielding Holstein cows
Kass, M., Karis, P., Leming, R., Haskell, M. J., Ling, K. & Henno, M., Jun 2024, In: International Dairy Journal. 153, 105908.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus) -
Detecting play behaviour in weaned dairy calves using accelerometer data
Mackay, C., Ellis, K., Haskell, M., Cousar, H. & Gladden, N., 14 Oct 2024, In: Journal of Dairy Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Detecting play behaviour in weaned dairy calves using accelerometer data
Mackay, C., Ellis, K., Haskell, M., Cousar, H. & Gladden, N., 14 Oct 2024.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Open Access -
Developing a tool to assess the health-related quality of life in calves with respiratory disease: tool refinement and construct validity testing
Bell, D., Duthie, C.-A., Mason, C., Hancock, A., Penny, C., Odeyemi, I., Bartram, D. & Haskell, M., 31 May 2024, (Accepted/In press) In: Animal. 101215.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Datasets
-
Unravelling selection signatures in a single dog breed suggests recent selection for morphological and behavioural traits
Friedrich, J. (Creator), Talenti, A. (Creator), Arvelius, P. (Creator), Strandberg, E. (Creator), Haskell, M. J. (Creator) & Wiener, P. (Creator), Dryad, 23 Mar 2020
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrfmr, https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrfmr
Dataset
-
Data from: Genetic dissection of complex behaviour traits in German Shepherd dogs
Friedrich, J. (Creator), Strandberg, E. (Creator), Arvelius, P. (Creator), Sánchez-Molano, E. (Creator), Pong-Wong, R. (Creator), Hickey, J. M. (Creator), Haskell, M. J. (Creator) & Wiener, P. (Creator), Dryad, 2020
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.493rk16, http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.493rk16
Dataset
-
Data from: Genomic data illuminates demography, genetic structure and selection of a popular dog breed
Wiener, P. (Creator), Sánchez-Molano, E. (Creator), Clements, D. N. (Creator), Woolliams, J. A. (Creator), Haskell, M. J. (Creator) & Blott, S. C. (Creator), Dryad, 1 Jan 2018
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.38q43, https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.38q43
Dataset
-
Data from: Genetic characterization of dog personality traits
Ilska, J. (Contributor), Haskell, M. J. (Contributor), Blott, S. C. (Creator), Sanchez-Molano, E. (Contributor), Polgar, Z. (Contributor), Lofgren, S. E. (Creator), Clements, D. N. (Creator) & Wiener, P. (Creator), Dryad, 1 Jan 2018
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.171q5, http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.171q5
Dataset
Activities
-
Defra Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (External organisation)
Haskell, M. (Chair)
1 Mar 2024 → 30 Apr 2024Activity: Membership types › Membership of advisory group
-
Horizon scanning discussion with BBSRC re precision breeding
Haskell, M. (Participant)
26 Jun 2024Activity: Other activity types › Other
-
HOW TO REDUCE WEANING AND SEPARATION STRESS IN DAIRY COW-CALF CONTACT SYSTEMS?
Haskell, M. (Examiner)
6 Jun 2024Activity: Qualification development/external examination types › External examiner (viva)
-
Animal welfare research in SRUC - student group visit
Haskell, M. (Speaker)
18 Jun 2024Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Oral presentation
-
Behavioural and physiological characteristics of rumination
Haskell, M. (Speaker)
21 May 2024Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk