I am a PhD candidate at The University of Auckland. I am part of the Animal Minds lab and work with three different species: dogs, kea, and New Caledonian crows.

I am interested in how evolutionary pressures have shaped the minds of different species. My PhD thesis focuses on the signature-testing approach, which aims to identify which cognitive processes animals use to understand their environment. I focus on the errors, biases, and patterns of behaviour  exhibited by animals, rather than relying on binary success-testing tasks.

Besides my work in comparative psychology, I am also a wildlife and landscape photographer. You can find my photography portfolio at amaliabastos.com.

You can download my full CV here.