Rate My Professor Emma Dunston-Clarke

Dr Emma Dunston-Clarke is a Lecturer in the School of Agricultural Sciences at Murdoch University, where she also serves as HDR Chair, supporting postgraduate research students. Her research specializations encompass animal welfare science, animal production, and animal behaviour. She completed her PhD in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Charles Sturt University from 2013 to 2016, focusing her doctoral thesis on the assessment of functionality and sociality of captive-origin and wild African lion prides through GPS tracking. She holds a Bachelor of Animal Science with Honours (BAnSc Hons). Prior to her lecturing position, Dr Dunston-Clarke worked as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Murdoch University's School of Veterinary Medicine and served as Principal Researcher in animal behaviour at ALERT in Zambia, gaining expertise across wild and domestic species.

Dr Dunston-Clarke's career has centered on advancing livestock welfare through empirical research and industry collaboration. Key publications include 'Brush Use in Lot-Fed Cattle Shows Continued Use and Positive Behaviour' (Animals, 2025, co-authored with C. Stockman et al.), examining environmental enrichment; 'Application of a welfare assessment protocol for Australian lot-fed cattle' (2024, with E. Taylor et al.); 'Developing a welfare assessment protocol for Australian lot-fed cattle' (Frontiers in Animal Science, 2023); 'Uterine tube resection by vaginotomy as an alternative to ovariectomy in mature cattle' (Animals, 2023, with P.C. Irons et al.); and 'Developing an Animal Welfare Assessment Protocol for Livestock Transported by Sea' (Animals, 2020, cited over 37 times). These contributions have influenced welfare protocols for feedlot cattle and sea-transported livestock, including studies on exercise enrichment and brush usage behaviours. She supervises research projects, such as Angus Foundation grants on cattle welfare, and participates in educational initiatives like the South-West WA Drought Hub to foster industry-ready graduates.