Julia Espinosa
Postdoc in comparative psychology, biology, & neuroscience @YorkU & @Harvard | Studying the nature & nurture shaping social behaviour in diverse dog populations 🐩🐕🐕🦺 | #ManyDogs Founder & Co-Director | she/her/ella #LatinaInSTEM
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaToday at 9pm ET/PT is the US premiere of the @pbs.org NOVA documentary "Can Dogs Talk?". It covers the project @cclabucsd.bsky.social has been running with thousands of button trained dogs. It is a true honor to be on NOVA and we hope you will find it engaging: www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vi...
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaReminder: if anyone, particular ECRs, is interested in helping to refresh the Data Management booklet, please get in touch ASAP. Details of how to get involved in the thread below. @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social @britishecologicalsociety.org.
- After last year's successful refresh of the BES Reproducible Code guide (www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/...), this year we're going to refresh the Data Management guide (www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/...). Exciting! See below for how to get involved...
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaI am really angry about all of the scientists who cozied up to Epstein even after it was known who he was. I am nearly as angry at how many people are justifying this as "they had to, it's how academia works" NO IT FUCKING WELL ISN'T
- #CO3 is my conference home and I'm so excited that it's coming to Canada this year 🍁 Consider presenting your comparative work, there's still time to send in an abstract! If you're into running, I'm thinking we should organize a fun run up Mount Royal one morning 🙌😅
- There's still time to submit your abstract for #CO32026! 🙌 The submission deadline is on Friday Dec 12th, all information about registration, membership, and the conference is on the website: www.comparativecognition.org/conference.php 🧪 See you in Montréal! 🐶🐝🐟🐦🐀🐍🦧🦝🐢🐘🐬🦦🕷️🐖🐆 #CompCog #AnimalBehavior
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaHave you ever wondered what you would find if you could keep your eyes on a bee for more than a few meters? Us, too! preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵 Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... 1/9
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaNew episode!! 🎙️🎉 A chat w/ @pbrakes.bsky.social about animal cultures and animal conservation. Culture was once thought to be uniquely human. No longer. We now know culture is found throughout the natural world. How does this complicate conservation? Listen: disi.org/the-value-of...
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaResearch can feel like shouting into the void. I’m deeply grateful that Emma Buchtel, Xu Jingya, & Betul Turel built on our “wise reasoning” work to tackle cultural diversity. They presented a large-scale study proposal at the 2025 @psychscience.bsky.social Global Summit. #culturaldiversity
- Hey comparative cognition researchers, see you in Montreal next year?! 🇨🇦🍁🦝🦫
- Abstract submission for #CO32026 is now open, join us next April in Montreal 🎉🍁🦫 Submit for a symposium by November 14th, or for an individual talk or poster by December 12th. Information on the conference and a link to the member portal where you can submit: comparativecognition.org/conference.php
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaSo excited that our first major empirical @themanybirds.bsky.social paper is now out in @plosbiology.org! Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
- 🐦 Exciting news! Our new paper is out in PLOS Biology: “A large-scale study across the avian clade identifies ecological drivers of neophobia.” Led by the #ManyBirds Project - 129 researchers, 82 institutions, 24 countries 🌍 🔗 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... @themanybirds.bsky.social
- You know what our recent paper on early life adversity and #dog #behaviour DOESN'T say? Anything about pit-bull type dogs. No mention by us at all, @sciencex.bsky.social. So... how did they earn a callout for aggression and fear in your piece? phys.org/news/2025-10... 1/idk, as many as it takes 🧪
- Despite no good evidence, pit-bull types are frequently characterized as aggressive and dangerous. This false narrative contributes to breed-specific laws which cause relinquishments and euthanasia, and don't actually reduce serious dog bites in society 2/n #BreedSpecificLegislation #CanineScience
- I really appreciate media coverage of our research, truly, it's huge for an #ECR like me on the job market. But don't get it twisted. The dogs don't deserve that #NotTodaySatan #DogIsLove #FactsNotFiction 3/n
- Here are our graphs showing impact of adversity by breed. We found zero evidence that pit-bull types were more impacted by adversity than other breeds, and when it came to baseline aggressive and fearful behaviour? Look at that, solidly in the middle of the pack #CanineScience 🧪 #Boom #TheEnd 4/4
- 📣 New publication alert! In a large, diverse sample, #CompanionDogs with a history of trauma before 6 months were seen as more fearful and/or aggressive than trauma-free dogs or those with trauma later on in life 🧪 #CanineScience #DogBehaviour #EarlyLifeAdversity doi.org/10.1038/s415...
- That's not all! Obvi, nurture doesn't tell the whole story of why dogs develop certain behaviour. We also found that the impact of trauma varied across dog breeds, suggesting that there is a genetic factor for risk or resilience to stress. #NatureAndNurture #Genes&Environment #IndividualDifferences
- This is the first paper from my postdoc with @erinhecht.bsky.social and the Canine Brains Project, check out their ongoing research: sites.harvard.edu/caninebrains... #CanineScience
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaBrown’s Department of Cognitive & Psychological Sciences is hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor, working in the area of AI and the Mind (start July 1, 2026). Apply by Nov 8, 2025 👉 apply.interfolio.com/173939 #AI #CognitiveScience #AcademicJobs #BrownUniversity
- 📣 Prospective Canadian grad students, check out NIna's lab and research szeyuhninawang.com 🧪
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaI wrote an R package that creates standardized R project structures that are compliant with @mekline.bsky.social's psych-DS...ish. It also creates additional features for reproducibility and teaching like a readme, license, .gitignore and Quarto templates + can validate existing projects
- Immediately going at the top of my reading list 🙌🤓
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaICYMI : #ASABWinter2025 will take place from December 15-16, once again in lovely Edinburgh! Registration is now open 🎉 Abstract submission deadline for posters and talks is August 29 🏃♀️🏃🏃♂️ More information here: asabwinter.github.io/2025/
- Reposted by Julia Espinosa🚨Starting soon at 12pm ET: @cdelawalla.bsky.social joins @simonwdc.bsky.social and @jeremymberg.bsky.social to dig into Countering Trump’s War on Science. We can’t wait - going LIVE soon! Tune in here ➡️ open.substack.com/live-stream/...
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaWith many postdoc grants like the NSF PRFB, Ford Fellowship, and Hanna H. Gray fellowships disappearing, I am currently looking for grants that could fund incoming postdoctoral scholars. Here is a thread of some of them 🧵
- ManyDogs has a new study! If you're a behavior researcher interested in collecting dog behavior data with your lab, get in touch 🙌🤓🐶 #BigTeamScience 🧪 #OpenScience #CanineScience #WomenInSTEM #dogs #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #AnimalBehavior #ComparativeCognition
- Also! Tippy tappy your way on over to the MD website to read about the study in more detail and check out our pre-registration of the method: manydogsproject.github.io/manydogs2.html
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaPro tip, folks: if you make a figure for a publication, don’t just hand the copyright over to the publisher. Post it on OSF first and then give yourself permission to use it in the first publication and then all future publications. That way, no permissions issues.
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaUp over 10,000 now! But we're aiming for 100,000! #StandUpForScience and join us. actionnetwork.org/forms/add-na...
- Reposted by Julia Espinosanot sure how to get this across to non-academics but here goes, Imagine if you were suddenly told 'we decided not to pay your salary', that's kind of what the grant cuts felt like. Now imagine if you were suddenly told 'we are going to set your dog on fire', that's what this feels like:
- Pre-print alert📣 Interesting associations between guardian-reported early life adversity and problematic #behaviour in #dogs: doi.org/10.31234/osf... Along with Erin Hecht and colleagues, we found that adverse event timing, genetic ancestry, and environmental factors matter for dog behaviour 🐶🧪
- A large sample of dog guardians (N = 4,497) shared life history and rated their dog's typical behavioural responses (with C-BARQ), e.g. when meeting an unfamiliar dog or human on a walk. We found that dogs with a history of adversity in the first 6 months were scored higher on fear and aggression
- Like other studies, we found individual differences also matter for dog behaviour! Older age, smaller body size, and living with other dogs or children were associated with increased aggression and fear scores. We also found that some breeds seemed to be more impacted by stress than others 😓🐶
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaApparently the Emory faculty have been pressuring our president to sign onto this letter, but he refuses to "sign petitions".🤦🏽♀️🙄 Any Emory University alumni interested in adding pressure? #HigherEducation #HandsOffUniversities #StandUpForScience
- Now it's nearly 270 university presidents who have signed onto this "unprecedented government overreach" public letter. It was less than 180 this morning. www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-c... Universities, and judges, taking the lead in standing up.
- We're not giving in and we're not giving up.
- Our statement in response to the Trump administration's attack on Harvard, together with @hgsuuaw.bsky.social, the Harvard Undergraduate Workers Union, the AAUP-Harvard Faculty Chapter, and @huctw-rankandfile.bsky.social.
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaExciting update! 🚀 My MSc research has now been officially published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science! 📖 Read it here: doi.org/10.1016/j.ap... Always happy to discuss this topic —get in touch! 🐕 #AnimalBehaviour #DogAdoption #Research @bethologist.bsky.social
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaResearchers at the University of Adelaide are seeking participants to complete a survey investigating sleep disturbances in older dogs. You can do the survey here: redcap.link/sleepdisturb...
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaHi all, I'm a WIRED journalist on the science desk. If you're a government scientist or federally funded researcher with info to share about the Trump transition, please feel free to contact me securely on Signal: emullin.06
- Reposted by Julia Espinosa🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
- If you're looking for a postdoc position that includes animals and a chance to work with two awesome #scientists & #WomenInSTEM, this is the one for you 🧪🐶
- 🚨 Postdoc Opening! 🚨 Join our human-animal interaction research group at @uarizona.bsky.social, receive dual mentorship from myself & @dremilybray.bsky.social + contribute to a funded study investigating the impact of pets on mental health and wellbeing. Open until filled! bit.ly/3CenLAE
- With talks from Dr. Rachael Miller (@drrmiller.bsky.social), AND one of the most inspiring leaders in the field, Dr. Suzanne MacDonald, #CO3_2025 is going to be one of the best yet! 🎉 Haven't registered? What are you waiting for: www.comparativecognition.org/index.php @compcogsoc.bsky.social 🧪
- Congrats to Dr. Rachael Miller @Dr_Rmiller @drrmiller.bsky.social for receiving the @ComparativeCog Society Early Career Award! Rachel will give her talk "Avian cognition and behaviour: from fundamental to applied" at #CO3_2025 in Albuquerque in March.
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaHello Bluesky! We are ManyGoats, an international network of goat scientists. Inspired by others like @manydogsproject.bsky.social @themanybirds.bsky.social, we aim to facilitate open, reproducible 🐐 behaviour & welfare science. How? By running multi-site behaviour studies worldwide! 🧵
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaIf you’re attending #ASABWinter2024 virtually, the links have been sent by email. Still want to join? You can still register: asabwinter2024.github.io Let’s learn more about animal behaviour!
- ❄️For #ASABWinter2024 virtual attendance, register at asabwinter2024.github.io & we will email instructions We're excited to announce hublets in Germany (Göttingen), France (Apt, Provence) & India (Sonipat, NCR)! If you want to join a hublet (or organise one!) email asabwinter2024@gmail.com❄️ 3/3
- Reposted by Julia Espinosa✨ PREPRINT 📖🤩 "Study Preregistration: A How-To Guide" Written for students, this guide outlines the 'what, why, and how' of preregistration, perceived barriers and their solutions, and 10 top tips to adopting and/or critically evaluating this open research practice. osf.io/preprints/ps...
- What a great opportunity! 🙌 🐶 🧪
- sites.arizona.edu/bray-lab/ New BRAY Lab website is officially up & running! In particular, if you're interested in getting a PhD in Psych while doing research in the field of canine cognition w/ me at the @uarizona.bsky.social College of Vet Med, check out the 'Get Involved' page. Apps due 12/1!
- Reposted by Julia Espinosa
[Not loaded yet] - Reposted by Julia Espinosathe first starter pack is already full so here is pack no. 2 with even more wonderful ethologists! as before, let me know if you would like to be included and also feel free to nominate others! 🌍🧪😊 go.bsky.app/JS5YC4s
- I made a starter pack for animal behaviour researchers / ethologists! please share and feel free to self-nominate or suggest others to be added as this is very much still a work in progress and not an exhaustive list 🌍🧪😊 #SciSky #BioSky #AnimalBehaviour #AnimalBehavior #Ethology go.bsky.app/Tr8VZpVat://did:plc:cjgdxf2h4jgah2vroeuijajg/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3larc4whhse2q
- Wanted: a feed showcasing store mascots, those rare darlings that chill in boutiques/bodegas, etc 🐱❤️🐶 If you know of one please share (I don't know how to make feeds yet 🙏😂). As down payment, here's one very good girl, Sunshine #Dogs #DogsOfBrooklyn
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaJust a reminder I'm recruiting a grad student at Florida this fall! If you find boredom interesting, and psychological richness weirdly compelling, consider applying! Pumpkin carving & rock painting skills a bonus. Applications due 12/1, see website for details: www.erinwestgate.com/join-the-lab...
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaMotivated by all these other animal-centric starter packs to fill in another niche: comparative cognition! go.bsky.app/5yu5SDr Let me know if you want to be added, or know someone who ought to be in the pack. Would be great to have representation from loads of species and places.at://did:plc:564pgj2tcvignokfmiuweonu/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3lavmkejfu62j
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaI made a starter pack for animal behaviour researchers / ethologists! please share and feel free to self-nominate or suggest others to be added as this is very much still a work in progress and not an exhaustive list 🌍🧪😊 #SciSky #BioSky #AnimalBehaviour #AnimalBehavior #Ethology go.bsky.app/Tr8VZpVat://did:plc:cjgdxf2h4jgah2vroeuijajg/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3larc4whhse2q
- 📢Starter pack for canine science: go.bsky.app/TPPUQyb Please share & all suggestions for more folks to include are extremely welcome and appreciated! 🐶🙌at://did:plc:qx662gg5tip4kefzbcqybysp/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3larologl5225
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaThe Wise Mind Balances the Abstract and the Concrete direct.mit.edu/opmi/article... 🚀 Our latest paper in Open Mind! 🎉 Let's dive into some findings that challenge long-held beliefs in #socialpsychology. 🧵👇 #PsychScience #WisdomResearch
- Reposted by Julia EspinosaJoin us! New, fully funded PhD positions available in the Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology at MPI-EVA in Leipzig. www.eva.mpg.de/comparative-...
- Reposted by Julia Espinosa[more #2023BTSCON content] There's still time to register (fee optional!) for the #2023BTSCON! Check out the amazing program, including keynote by Nokuthula Mchunu, at bigteamscienceconference.github.io #academicsky #psychscisky #devsci #socialpsyc #neuroskyence #scicomm #metasci #methodsky
- Reposted by Julia Espinosa@improvingpsych.bsky.social @cogscisociety.bsky.social #cogpsyc #PsychSciSky #socialpsyc #DecisionMaking #forecasting #BehSci A MAJOR initiative on #Crowdwisdom with substantial top prizes. Please share!
- What are you doing on October 23-25? Big Team Science Conference 2023, that's what 🤓 Tune in to the virtual events and catch up on excellent open science projects. ALSO, registration fees are optional! 🙌 bigteamscienceconference.github.io
