Behind the Breakthroughs: Lauren Powell

Behind the Breakthroughs is a Q&A series that shines a light on the people and ideas driving discoveries across Penn Vet. 

In this edition, we sit down with Assistant Professor of Animal Welfare and Behavior, Lauren Powell, PhD. Dr. Powell studies one of the most familiar yet surprisingly complex relationships in our lives: the bond between people and their companion animals. Her research explores how human-animal relationships influence both pet welfare and human wellbeing, with a particular focus on the role of socioeconomic and environmental factors.

From leading one of the nation’s largest studies of shelter pet adoptions to developing innovative tools that improve the quality of life for animals and their families, Powell is helping build the scientific evidence behind the benefits and challenges of pet ownership. She shares the questions driving her research, the obstacles she faces, and why understanding the human-animal bond matters more than ever. 

What big problem is your research aiming to solve?

Pet ownership is more popular than ever. The American Veterinary Medical Association now estimates that there are 163 million pet dogs and cats in America. That’s about one animal for every two people. While many people believe that pets are good for our health, the scientific evidence is less conclusive. There are also millions of pets in America that live with their families in poverty, whose experiences have been overlooked in research. Much of my work focuses on better understanding when and how human-animal relationships can benefit both animal welfare and human wellbeing. I’m particularly interested in understanding the ways socioeconomic and environmental factors can affect pets and their owners. I hope my research helps maximize the benefits of pet ownership while minimizing the risks of stress, poor welfare, and separation of companion animals from their families.

What is the flagship project you are working on right now?

One of the biggest projects my team and I are currently working on is a nationwide study on the impacts of cat and dog adoptions on human and animal wellbeing. We have partnered with 12 shelters from across the country and recruited over 500 people so far, making this study the largest of its kind. We’re working hard to include adopters from many communities to ensure we represent the experiences of people from diverse backgrounds and their animals. Ultimately, we hope the data will illustrate the power of the human-animal bond to improve human mental wellbeing and help shelters better support adopters and their pets, thereby promoting long-lasting adoptions. Robust scientific data showing how wonderful shelter animals are may also help increase adoptions. 

What is the one thing you wish more people understood about your field?

I wish more people recognized why it’s so important to study human-animal relationships and how challenging that can be. Each relationship is inherently unique, and accounting for that variation can be difficult. We also find that many gold standard scientific methods cannot be applied. For example, studies in which human participants are randomly assigned to treatment groups are widely considered the strongest study designs. In our case, it would be very unethical to assign pets to members of the population at random. We have to think outside the box to answer many of our research questions.

What is the toughest challenge you face in advancing your work?

I am passionate about representing the experiences of diverse groups of companion animals and their owners in my work. To do so, we need to be out in the community, attending events with community partners, and building trust with pet owners. All of that takes significant time. Building a team of researchers is critical to the success of this work, and without sufficient funding, that would not be possible.

What is a passion or favorite ritual — outside of your research and work — that helps to keep you balanced?

Working out. When I first moved from Australia to Philadelphia right at the start of the pandemic, it was difficult to feel connected to the community. In fact, it was the people I met at my local gym whohelped me to build a network. This year, I have stepped outside my comfort zone and committed to running more. I’ve now signed up for a half-marathon in November. I really appreciate exercise, not just for the physical benefits but also for the ways it helps me stay balanced and socially connected.