Animal Sciences

Samia Toukhsati
Adjunct Faculty
I was born in a small country town called Maryborough, which is in a region known as the Central Goldfields in the State of Victoria, Australia. Prospectors used to flock to this area in search of their fortune and still come to the region to find alluvial gold. Not long after my brother was born, my family moved to Melbourne and my love for the city life began. We were fortunate to have the best of both worlds; visits to see my grandparents on their farm and plenty of cousins who lived by the sea gave us wonderful escapes from the noise and pace of city life.

As a child and throughout my teens I was very active and was fortunate to have parents who indulged my various extra-curricular interests. I have always had a great passion for the arts and spent many an hour ‘developing’ my career as a very famous dancer, author and/or actor - not altogether unusual childhood fantasies of stardom!

I have always been deeply fascinated by all living things – both human and non-human. I pursued this interest by completing Bachelor of Arts Degree, in which I majored in Psychology and Sociology. One of my Professors once said that the objective of an Arts degree is to learn how to think; I believe that the training I received in critical thinking was the greatest gift my undergraduate degree provided.

In 1998, I completed an Honours Degree in Psychology in which I explored the extent to which exposure to auditory rhythms could enhance memory in day-old chicks. This was based on research that had demonstrated (albeit not too reliably!) that music may promote cognitive functioning. I observed a strongly enhancing effect of exposure to the rhythms and completed a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience as an expansion of this work.

After having studied for 9 years, I was appointed as a Research Fellow at the Animal Welfare Science Centre in Monash University. I worked closely with Professor Grahame Coleman on a range of projects that explored public perception and attitudes towards intensive farming industries, including the egg industry, red meat industry and pork industry. This afforded a wonderful opportunity to learn about the current issues faced by intensive farming industries and to consider ethical issues relating to their sustainability.

In 2005, I was appointed lecturer in the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine at Monash University. I have since continued my work in the Animal Welfare Science Centre, exploring public attitudes and behaviours towards companion animals (cats, dogs and semi-owned cats). Dr Pauleen Bennett and I have worked closely on many projects and will continue to foster collaborations.

In 2006, I was pleased to co-ordinate a unit in the Graduate Certificate in Animal Welfare. This unit explored the biology and ethology of animal welfare and raised fascinating questions about how we determine what animals really want and need. Later that same year, we received a visit from Dr. Kinder (The Ohio State University) who outlined his vision for a unit that explores Animals in Society. I have been delighted by the opportunity to work on this project with my esteemed colleagues at The Ohio State University and Monash University and greatly look forward to sharing our ideas with you.
Toukhsati

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