Bhavisha Gulabrai

Bio

Bhavisha Gulabrai is from Rocky Mount, NC and has attended NC State since 2018. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Master’s degree in Poultry Science. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Agricultural and Human Sciences under Dr. Katie Sanders and Dr. Dara Bloom researching food systems communications.

In her Master’s, Bhavisha had the unique opportunity to develop her thesis research based on her personal interests. Under the direction of Dr. Aaron Kiess and committee members Dr. Ken Anderson and Dr. Allison Pullin, she conducted a 72-week laying hen welfare study evaluating the influence of genetic strain on egg production, egg quality, stress, and behavior amongst four strains of laying hens housed in a cage-free environment. She hopes to build upon this research in her dissertation exploring consumer perceptions of animal welfare practices in the laying hen industry to improve consumer trust.

Bhavisha’s goal is to bridge the gap between the animal agriculture industry and general public with the hopes of disseminating science-based information regarding animal welfare and management practices amongst consumers.

Professional Honors/Offices/Recognitions

• 2024: Humane Society International Travel Award
• 2023: CALS Spring Magazine
• 2022: Animal Health and Nutrition Consortium Grant
• 2022: Hamby Family Graduate Award

Selected Publications

• Gulabrai, B. P.; Anderson, K. E.; Kiess, A. S.; Pullin, A. N. Evaluating fearfulness in three genetic strains of cage-free laying hens using a startle test (Oral Presentation, International Society for Applied Ethology, Curitiba, Brazil, 2024)
• Gulabrai, B. P.; Anderson, K. E.; Kiess, A. S.; Pullin, A. N. Fearfulness responses of three genetic strains of cage-free laying hens evaluated by an inversion test (Oral Presentation, Poultry Science Association, Louisville, KY, 2024)
• Wysocky, R. B.; Gulabrai, B. P., Pullin, A. N.; Anderson, K. E., Kiess, A. S. Assessing the impact of cage-free production on egg quality between different genetic strains of laying hens (Poster Presentation, Poultry Science Association, Louisville, KY, 2024)
• Gulabrai, B. P.; Anderson, K. E., Chance, S. E., Pullin, A. N., Kiess, A. S. Assessing the relationship between stress and production in four strains of laying hens housed in a cage-free environment (Oral Presentation, International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta, GA, 2023)

Area(s) of Expertise

• Agricultural Communications
• Animal Welfare
• Poultry Science
• Animal Science