Dr Sarah Jelbert
PhD, MSc, BA (Oxon)
Expertise
I am a comparative psychologist interested in the evolution of cognitive abilities in non-human animals. I am also interested in happiness and wellbeing. I teach courses on the Science of Happiness and Animal Cognition.
Current positions
Lecturer
School of Psychological Science
Contact
Media contact
If you are interested in speaking to this expert, contact the University’s Media & PR Team on
Biography
In 2016 I returned to the UK as a postdoc at the University of Cambridge, working in Prof Nicky Clayton's Comparative Cognition Lab. From 2018-2019 I briefly left academia and spent a year as a director of a start-up in Bristol, providing training in science commercialisation for PhD students. However, ultimately, my heart lies in academic teaching and research. I joined the University of Bristol in 2019, where I now work on projects related to the science of happiness, in addition to conducting animal cognition research.
Research interests
Animal Cognition: I am broadly interested in the evolution of cognitive abilities in humans and non-human animals. Over the past decade I have studied the cognitive abilities of a range of animals, including Eurasian jays, rufous hummingbirds, Goffin cockatoos, and both human children and adults. The majority of my work has focussed on the New Caledonian crow, a remarkable species of bird which manufactures complex tools in the wild and performs exceptionally well on cognitive tasks in captivity.
Science of Happiness: In addition, since joining the University of Bristol in 2019, I have transitioned towards applied psychological research. This is a move I made largely in response to the student mental health crisis and a desire to tackle well-being concerns among young adults. Here, I am investigating the effects of positive psychology interventions on student well-being, delivered as part of the teaching curriculum.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
BBSRC International Partnership: A collaboration with the University of Veterinary Medicine , Vienna
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of Psychological ScienceDates
01/11/2022 to 31/03/2023
Publications
Recent publications
03/04/2021Benefits of a psychoeducational happiness course on university student mental well-being both before and during a COVID-19 lockdown
Health Psychology Open
Investigating the Use of Electronic Well-being Diaries Completed Within a Psychoeducation Program for University Students: Longitudinal Text Analysis Study
JMIR
A novel test of flexible learning in relation to executive function and language in young children
Royal Society Open Science
Decision-making flexibility in New Caledonian crows, young children and adult humans in a multi-dimensional tool-use task
PLoS ONE
How flexible is tool use in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius)?
Animal Behavior and Cognition
Teaching
PSYC10014: Science of Happiness (with Prof Bruce Hood)
PSYC30021: Animal Learning and Cognition (with Dr Katy Burgess)
And lecture on the following courses:
PSYCH10004: Foundations of Psychology (Developmental Psychology)
PSYCH30023: Current Topics in Psychological Science (Animal Intelligence)
I supervise undergraduate and masters research dissertations in Psychological Science.
Related people
Dr Lucy Biddle
Associate Professor in Qualitative Mental Health Research
Bristol Medical School (PHS)
Professor Bruce Hood
Professor of Developmental Psychology in Society
School of Psychological Science
Dr Judi Kidger
Senior Lecturer in Public Health
Bristol Medical School (PHS)
Dr Myles-Jay Linton
Vice Chancellor's Fellow
Bristol Medical School (PHS)
Dr Stephen Montgomery
Senior Research Fellow
School of Biological Sciences