Shelby E. McDonald, PhD | Human-Animal Interaction Research
Service
I currently serve as a NIH LRP Program Ambassador. I received an NIH LRP Award (NICHD, Health Disparities Research) in 2021 and a renewal award in 2023. My NIH LRP supported projects focus on the role of human-animal interaction in risk/resilience among LGBTQ+ youth during the transition to adulthood. As an Ambassador, I serve as a bridge between the NIH LRPs and potential applicants, by offering my advice, and sharing my experiences. If you would like more information about the NIH LRPs or want to discuss my experiences as an applicant or awardee, please feel free to contact me. Also, please visit the NIH LRP website.
I serve as an associate editor for Human—Animal Interactions, an open access interdisciplinary journal devoted to the dissemination of research in all fields related to interactions between non-human animals and their human counterparts. I am currently guest-editing a special issue focused on the intersection of human and animal health and welfare.
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I served on the NIH, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, Human-Animal Interaction Research Initiative Special Emphasis Panel (2021, 2022). In this role, I assessed the scientific merit of grant applications.
My service includes policy advocacy at the federal level. I served as an expert panel member for the congressional briefing on HR 2808 (Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act of 2019) and HR 763 (Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act of 2021) in Washington DC. It was an honor to be invited to present my research in this context and support policy change at the federal level.
I serve as a review editor for Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Review editors are key persons of the Frontiers review process, since they are responsible for certifying the validity and accuracy of publications, and for helping authors to improve the quality of their manuscripts as well as the way in which the research is communicated. Specifically, I am a review editor for the section on animal behavior and welfare.
Prior to moving back to Denver, CO, in 2023, I volunteered for Richmond SPCA and Richardson's Feline Rescue as a foster caregiver, specializing in neonate and young kittens. My prior work as a foster program volunteer informs my research in animal welfare and human-animal interaction, as well as my interest in making fostering programs more accessible and community-engaged. You can learn more about my interest in engaging communities in kitten fostering programs and foster program accessibility here. For cute photos/videos of my fosters, follow me on Instagram.
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My ongoing service also includes serving as an ad-hoc reviewer for several international, peer-reviewed journals, representing fields such as social work, public health, child development, psychology, and psychiatry, as well as interdisciplinary journals focused on specific areas of inquiry. Journals for which I act as an ad-hoc reviewer include (but are not limited to): Anthrozöos, Child Abuse & Neglect; Child Maltreatment, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Family Violence, Psychology, Crime, & Law; Trauma, Violence, & Abuse; Social Work Research; Violence Against Women; Animals.
From 2017 to 2020, I served as a consulting editor for the journal, Social Work Research. Additionally, I have experience serving as a Guest Editor for journals such as the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and Behavioral Sciences.