Our research program focuses on advancing animal welfare science in zoological and aquarium settings through the study of animal behavior and physiology. Collectively, these publications address welfare assessment, positive welfare indicators, maternal care, developmental biology, and species-specific management practices across a variety of species.
James, D. K., Tobey, J. R., Lauderdale, L. K., Miller, L. J., & Owen, M. A. (2025). Maternal Care and Cub Development in the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus). Zoo Biology. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.70037
Lauderdale, L. K., Granger, D. A., Walsh, M. T., & Miller, L. J. (2025). Latent trait-like component identified for bottlenose dolphin fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 114873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114873
Lauderdale, L. K., Mellen, J. D., Walsh, M. T., Granger, D. A., & Miller, L. J. (2021). Towards understanding the welfare of cetaceans in accredited zoos and aquariums. PloS one, 16(8), e0255506. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255506
Lauderdale, L. K., Wojciechowski, S., & Miller, L. J. (2025). White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) nest box activity budgets and behavior milestones. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 12(1), 108-121. https://doi.org/10.26451/abc.12.01.05.2025
Miller, L. J., & Chinnadurai, S. K. (2023). Beyond the five freedoms: animal welfare at modern zoological facilities. Animals, 13(11), 1818. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111818
Miller, L. J., Ivy, J. A., Vicino, G. A., & Schork, I. G. (2019). Impacts of natural history and exhibit factors on carnivore welfare. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 22(2), 188-196. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2018.1455582
Miller, L. J., Lauderdale, L. K., Bryant, J. L., Mellen, J. D., Walsh, M. T., & Granger, D. A. (2021). Behavioral diversity as a potential positive indicator of animal welfare in bottlenose dolphins. Plos one, 16(8), e0253113. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253113
Miller, L. J., Vicino, G. A., Sheftel, J., & Lauderdale, L. K. (2020). Behavioral diversity as a potential indicator of positive animal welfare. Animals, 10(7), 1211. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10071211
Ramont, M., Sholar, J., Stacey, R., Gonka, M., & Miller, L. J. (2024). Nursing behavior of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) calves from 1990-2014 at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, USA. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 11(1), 198-207. https://doi.org/10.26451/abc.11.01.04.2024
Ramont, M., Principe, N., Prostko, R., Watts, J., Chinnadurai, S.K. & Miller, L.J. (2025), The Provision of Browse and Its Impacts on the Health and Welfare of Animals at the Zoo: A Review. Zoo Biology, 44: 105-125. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21883
Ramont, M., Hickman, C., Snyder, T., Chinnadurai, S. K., & Miller, L. J. (2025). From Hatch to Fledge: Growth and Development of Sihek (Todiramphus cinnamominus) Chicks at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 6(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg6010016
Ramont, M., Hickman, C., Snyder, T., Chinnadurai, S. K., & Miller, L. J. (2025). Comparative analysis of weight in male and female sihek (Todiramphus cinnamominus) chicks at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Avian Biology Research, 18(2): 80-84. https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559251331754
Staley, M., Conners, M. G., Hall, K., & Miller, L. J. (2018). Linking stress and immunity: Immunoglobulin A as a non-invasive physiological biomarker in animal welfare studies. Hormones and Behavior, 102, 55-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.04.011
Tidière, M., Colchero, F., Staerk, J., Adkesson, M. J., Andersen, D. H., Bland, L., Boye, M., Brando, S., Clegg, I., Cubaynes, S., Cutting, A., De Man, D., Derocher, A. E., Dorsey, C., Elgar, W., Gaglione, E., Hansen, K. A., Jungheim, A., Kok, J., Laule, G., Goya, A. L., Miller, L., Monreal-Pawlowsky, T., Mucha, K., Owen, M. A., Peterson, S. D., Pilfold, N., Richardson, D., Richardson, E. S., Sabo, D., Sato, N., Shellabarger, W., Skovlund, C. R., Tomisawa, K., Trautwein, S. E., Van Bonn, W., Van Elk, C., Von Fersen, L., Wahlberg, M., Zhang, P., Zhang, X., & Conde, D. A. (2023). Survival improvements of marine mammals in zoological institutions mirror historical advances in human longevity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 290(2009), 20231895. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.1895
Whitham, J. C., & Wielebnowski, N. (2013). New directions for zoo animal welfare science. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 147(3-4), 247-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.02.004
Whitham, J. C., & Miller, L. J. (2016). Using technology to monitor and improve zoo animal welfare. Animal Welfare, 25(4), 395-409. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.25.4.395
Whitham, J. C., Bryant, J. L., & Miller, L. J. (2020). Beyond glucocorticoids: Integrating dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) into animal welfare research. Animals, 10(8), 1381. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081381
Whitham, J. C., & Miller, L. J. (2025). Why measuring and building resilience Is applicable to zoo and aquarium animal welfare. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 6(3), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg6030048
Whitham, J. C., & Miller, L. J. (2024). Utilizing vocalizations to gain insight into the affective states of non-human mammals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 11, 1366933. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1366933
Woods, J. M., Eyer, A., & Miller, L. J. (2022). Bird welfare in zoos and aquariums: general insights across industries. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 3(2), 198-222. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg3020017
