Jon Day

Dr Jon E L Day BSc (hons), PhD, FRSB

Jon is the founder and Director of Cerebrus Associates. He oversees the operation of the business to deliver consultancy, research and innovation services to his client base within the life-science industry. He has an extensive international network of colleagues and clients, and holds a number of non-vocational positions in learned societies. Jon has a track-record of increasing the engagement of organisations with Industry.

Jon is an experienced networker, fundraiser, manager and researcher. He works effectively in both academic and commercial environments. He is a strategist and an innovator and has developed several new multidisciplinary platforms of research which operate across competencies. He has generated insights leading to new product development, and his research has been used in marketing and regulatory affairs.

Jon graduated from the University of Reading in 1992 with a Bachelor's degree in Applied Zoology in which he specialised in the behavioural sciences.

In 1995, he gained his PhD at the University of Edinburgh investigating the behavioural nutrition of pigs.  His post-doctoral research was in Consumer Science at the BBSRC Institute of Food Research where he managed a small team investigating the psychobiology of human eating. In 1998 Jon joined ADAS (UK) Limited where he led the pig production and welfare research programme; winning and project managing research for both Defra, and for commercial companies

In 2008, he moved into the commercial sector; first working as a Technical Manager for Provimi with responsibilities for diet formulation, technical product-management, marketing of new products, and the development of key accounts in both domestic and export markets.  Prior to becoming the Director of Cerebrus Associates in 2012, he worked as the Head of Behavioural Sciences at the WALTHAM^TM Centre for Pet Nutrition where he initiated a cross-competency research programme in Behavioural Nutrition.

His research interests include the regulation of feeding behaviour and developing methodologies and frameworks that offer insights into the behavioural nutrition of humans and other animals. He has 31 fully-refereed publications and 47 published abstracts and summaries in the field of behavioural science and nutrition.

 

Publications: Fully refereed papers (selection)

• Miquel, S., Haddou, M. Ben, & Day, J. E. L. (2019). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of mastication on sustained attention in healthy adults. Physiology & Behavior, 202, 101–115.
• Miquel, S., Champ, C., Day, J., Aarts, E., Bahr, B. A., Bakker, M., … Geurts, L. (2018). Poor cognitive ageing: Vulnerabilities, mechanisms and the impact of nutritional interventions. Ageing Research Reviews, 42, 40–55.
• Miquel, S., Aspiras, M., & Day, J. E. L. (2018). Does reduced mastication influence cognitive and systemic health during aging? Physiology & Behavior, 188, 239–250.
• van de Weerd, H., & Day, J. (2017). The legal journey to improved farm animal welfare. The Business of Farm Animal Welfare, 47–63.
• Kotrschal, K., Day, J., McCune, S., & Wedl, M. (2013). Human and cat personalities: Building the bond from both sides. In The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour.
• Schöberl, I., Wedl, M., Bauer, B., Day, J. E. L., Möstl, E., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Effects of owner-dog relationship and owner personality on cortisol modulation in human-dog dyads. Anthrozoös 25(2): 199-214.
• Wedl, M., Bauer, B., Gracey, D., Grabmayer, C., Spielauer, E., Day, J. E. L., Kotrschal, K. (2011). Factors influencing the temporal patterns of dyadic behaviours and interactions between domestic cats and their owners. Behavioural Processes 86(1): 58-67.
• Wedl, M., Schöberl, I., Bauer, B., Day, J. E. L., Kotrschal, K. (2010). Relational factors affecting dog social attraction to human partners. Interaction Studies 11(3): 482-503.
• Day, J. E. L., Kergoat, S. & Kotrschal, K. (2009). Do pets influence the quantity and choice of food offered to them by their owners: lessons from other animals and the pre-verbal human infant? Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources 4: No. 042
• Van de Weerd, H. A. & Day, J. E. L. (2009). A review of environmental enrichment for pigs housed in intensive housing systems. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 116: 1-20.
• Day, J. E. L., Van de Weerd, H. A. & Edwards, S. A. (2008). The effect of varying lengths of straw bedding on the behaviour of growing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 109: 249-260
• Docking, C. M., Van de Weerd, H. A., Day, J. E. L. & Edwards, S. A. (2008). The influence of age on the use of potential enrichment objects and synchronisation of behaviour of pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 110: 244-257.
• Kelly, H. R. C., Browning, H. M., Day, J. E. L., Martin, A., Pearce, G. P., Stopes, C. & Edwards, S. A. (2007). Effect of breed type, housing and feeding system on performance of growing pigs managed under organic conditions. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 87(15): 2794-2800.
• Van de Weerd, H. A., Docking, C. M., Day, J. E. L., Breuer, K. and Edwards, S. A. (2005). Effects of species-relevant environmental enrichment on the behaviour and productivity of finishing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 99: 230-247.
• Van de Weerd, H. A., Docking, C. M., Day, J. E. L. and Edwards, S. A. (2005). The development of harmful social behaviour in pigs with intact tails and different enrichment backgrounds in two housing systems. Animal Science 80: 289-298.
• Jarvis, S., Day, J. E. L. & Reed, B. (2005). Ethical guidelines for research in animal science. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science Meeting, 2005, 247-253.
• Van de Weerd, H. A., Docking, C. M., Day, J. E. L., Breuer, K. and Edwards, S. A. (2004). Longitudinal study of adverse behaviour of undocked pigs in two different housing systems. BSAS publication 31. ‘The appliance of pig science’ (eds. J. E. Thompson, B. P. Gill, M. A. Varley). Nottingham University Press, UK. pp165-168.
• Van de Weerd, H. A., Docking, C., Day, J. E. L., Avery, P. J. and Edwards, S. A. (2003). An alternative approach towards developing environmental enrichment for pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 84: 101-118.
• Day, J. E. L., Kelly, H., Martins, A. and Edwards, S. A. (2002). Towards a baseline assessment of organic pig welfare. Animal Welfare 12: 637-641.
• Day, J. E. L., Spoolder, H. A. M., Burfoot, A., Docking, C. M. and Edwards, S. A. (2000). The effect of prior experience of straw and the level of straw provision on the behaviour of growing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 76: 189-202.
• Day, J. E. L., Spoolder, H. A. M., Burfoot, A., Chamberlain, H. L. and Edwards, S. A. (2002). The separate and interactive effects of handling and environmental enrichment on the behaviour and welfare of growing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 75: 177-192.
• Day, J. E. L., Spoolder, H. A. M., Burfoot, A., Docking, C. M. and Edwards, S. A. (2001). The development and validation of a complex ethogram to investigate the straw directed behaviour of growing pigs. Pig News and Information 22: 49N-54N.
• Day, J. E. L. & Webster, S. D. (1999). The behavioural effects of early weaning in farm animals. Biologist 46: 177-180.
• Webster, S. D. & Day, J. E. L. (1998). Tail-biting and tail-docking in pigs. The Veterinary Record 142(2): 375.
• Day, J. E. L. & Webster, S. D. (1998). Tail-biting and tail-docking in pigs. The Veterinary Record 142(17): 468.
• Tolkamp, B. J. & Day, J. E. L. (1998). Measuring food intake in farm and laboratory animals. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 57: 313-319.
• Kyriazakis, I. & Day, J. E. L. (1998). Does the study of feeding behaviour benefit from a teleonomic framework? Nutrition Research Reviews 11(2): 223-229.
• Finch, G. M., Razak, Day, J. E. L., Welch, D. A. & Rogers, P. J. (1998). Appetite changes during Ramadan fasting: indications for stimulus control of hunger. Appetite 31: 159-170.
• Day, J. E. L., Kyriazakis, I. & Rogers, P. J. (1998). Food choice and intake: towards a unifying framework of learning and feeding motivation. Nutrition Research Reviews 11(1): 25-43.
• Day, J. E. L., Kyriazakis, I. & Rogers, P. J. (1997). Feeding motivation in animals and humans: a comparative review of its measurements and uses. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews (Series B) 67: 69-80.
• Day, J. E. L., Kyriazakis, I., & Rogers, P. J. (1997). Feeding motivation in animals and humans: a comparative review of its measurements and uses. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews (Series A) 67: 107-117.
• Day, J. E. L., Kyriazakis, I. & Lawrence, A. B. (1996). The use of a second-order schedule to assess the effect of food bulk on the feeding motivation of growing pigs. Animal Science 63: 447-455.
• Day, J. E. L., Kyriazakis, I. & Lawrence, A. B. (1996). The use of a second-order schedule to measure feeding motivation in the pig. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 50: 15-31.
• Day, J. E. L., Kyriazakis, I. & Lawrence, A. B. (1996). An investigation into the causation of chewing behaviour in growing pigs: the role of exploration and feeding motivation. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 48: 47-59.
• Day, J. E. L., Kyriazakis, I. & Lawrence, A. B. (1995). The effect of food deprivation on the expression of foraging and exploratory behaviour in the growing pig. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 42: 193-206.

Honours and awards

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB)
• Visiting Fellow at Newcastle University (2013-2018)

Non-Vocational Positions

• Editor of the journal Animal Science
• Regional secretary for the UK and Eire branch of the International Society of Applied Ethology
• Representative of the International Society of Applied Ethology at the Institute of Biology
• Member of the Agricultural Sciences Committee at the Institute of Biology
• Member of the Technical and Ethical Committee of the British Society of Animal Science
• Member of Council of the Nutrition and Behaviour Group of the Nutrition Society

Academic service

• Editor of the journal Animal Science
• Regional secretary for the UK and Eire branch of the International Society of Applied Ethology
• Representative of the International Society of Applied Ethology at the Institute of Biology
• Member of the Agricultural Sciences Committee at the Institute of Biology
• Member of the Technical and Ethical Committee of the British Society of Animal Science
• Member of Council of the Nutrition and Behaviour Group of the Nutrition Society