ProfessorXimena Nelson
Associate Head of School
School of Biological Sciences
Orcid identifier0000-0003-4301-2928 (opens in a new tab)
- Associate Head of SchoolSchool of Biological Sciences
- ProfessorSchool of Biological Sciences
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Ximena’s research spans the cognitive and sensory foundations of animal behaviour, with emphasis on:
Animal Cognition & Decision‑Making
- Numerical competence, problem‑solving, and flexible foraging strategies
- Emotional contagion and social behaviour in kea
- Cognitive ecology and information processing in wild and captive systems
Sensory Ecology & Neuroethology
- Vision‑based behaviour in jumping spiders
- Sensory–behaviour interactions and the neural basis of decision‑making
- Predator–prey interactions shaped by sensory constraints
Behavioural Ecology & Conservation
- Behaviour‑driven approaches to conservation and pest management
- Behavioural responses to environmental change
- Species interactions and ecological roles (e.g., kea as seed dispersers)
Model Systems
- Jumping spiders: visual cognition, predatory strategies, sensory processing
- Kea: social behaviour, emotion, problem‑solving, conservation ecology
Her research integrates field studies, laboratory experiments, high‑speed videography, behavioural assays, and comparative cognition frameworks.