Elitsa Argirova

Hi, I am Elitsa. I am ab student at the University of Leicester. At the moment, I am doing a placement year at Bristol Zoo Gardens, working as a conservation scientist. I am involved with reforestation, biodiveristy and lemur population projects in Northern Madagascar. I am also working on animal behaviour (specifically Aye-Ayes) and animal welfare in Zoos. I have built connections with Zoos and Conservation Centres all around the world, including Duke Lemur Centre, Durham and London Zoo, UK. Part of my job also involves educating children and the general public on topics concerning species loss and climate change. Currently I am writing two papers on Sahamalaza vegetation and lemur survey analysis and Stereotypical behaviour in captive Aye-ayes, which I am hoping to publish later on in the year.

During the summer of 2019 I did a Neuropsychology placement in a Neuroscience and Psychology lab at Bournemouth University. My duties invlovled assiting a Neuropsychologist and implementing psychological research environments for valid experimental research to takeplace. My role also involved effective communication with participants, ensuring dissemination of information as well as research and data analyses using software programs such as Brain Vision Analyser, Brain Productsas well as BioSemi.

In 2019 I was chosen to be the vice-president of the Univeristy of Leicester Neuroscience Society where I was asked to give talks on topics connecetd to the latest neuroscience discoveries as well as neurological and psychological processes that happpen in everyday life. One particular talk I was asked to give for example was on The Neuroscience of Love. I was also responsible for organizing talks with neuroscientists and psychologists from my own and various other universities across the UK for members of the society as well as the general public.

This year I was invited to give a talk for STEM Women at the University of Leicester and share the experience of my placement in the conservation science field as a new female scientist just beginning her journey into this vast and interesting field.