Dr. Courtney Graham Joins OVC’s Department of Clinical Studies

On October 25, Dr. Courtney Graham will join the Ontario Veterinary College’s (OVC) Department of Clinical Studies as assistant professor in One Welfare.

Originally from British Columbia and a member of Snuneymuxw First Nation, Graham earned a BSc in Geography from the University of Victoria and an MSc in Applied Animal Biology from the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia. She went on to complete a PhD in Epidemiology and Companion Animal Behaviour in the Department of Population Medicine at OVC, studying the impacts of socialization and early experiences on fear behaviour in foster kittens. 

Graham’s research interests include applied animal welfare and behaviour, with a focus on the behavioural development of companion kittens and cats and the human-animal bond. Her research merges quantitative and qualitative methods, incorporating the perspectives of foster parents and kitten caretakers to improve long-term animal welfare and maintain strong human-animal relationships. She has collaborated with the BC SPCA, RSPCA New South Wales, and UC Davis, and has sat on the board of the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada. 

As assistant professor in One Welfare at OVC, Graham will contribute to emergent One Welfare initiatives at the University of Guelph with researchers from other Colleges, disciplines, and research groups, including the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, the Community Healthcare Partnerships Program, the Translation Institute, and the One Health Institute. The position engages researchers working with knowledge and ways of knowing that exceed or challenge Eurocentric knowledge paradigms.