Sarah Benson-Amram

Sarah Benson-Amram is an associate professor in the Departments of Forest and Conservation Sciences and Zoology, and a member of the Biodiversity Research Centre, the Interdisciplinary Biodiversity Solutions Cluster, and the Urban Forests Research Hub at the University of British Columbia. She is also the Director of the Animal Behavior and Cognition Laboratory and UBC’s Urban Wildlife Project. Sarah investigates how cognition facilitates adaptation of wildlife to urban environments and how urbanization affects the behaviour, ecology, and cognition of wildlife through her field studies of urban carnivores, especially raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. She has also studied behaviour, cognition, personality, and communication in other diverse taxa, including Asian and African Elephants, Spotted Hyenas, Tasmanian Devils, zebra finches, prairie dogs, and lemurs. Sarah has spent over two years living and working in the Maasai Mara National Reserve studying Spotted Hyenas and one year in Amboseli National Park studying communication in African Elephants. Sarah has also led study-abroad courses bringing students to multiple parks and reserves in Kenya. Sarah’s research has been published in top international journals and many reputable news outlets.