Ximena Nelson

Professor Ximena Nelson is an internationally recognised behavioural ecologist in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury, specialising in animal behaviour, cognition, sensory ecology, and neuroethology. Her research examines how animals perceive, process, and act on information, with a particular focus on jumping spiders (Salticidae) and kea, two model systems that illuminate the evolution of intelligence, decision‑making, and sensory‑driven behaviour.

Her work sits at the interface of behaviour, ecology, conservation, and physiology, exploring how sensory systems shape behaviour and how behavioural ecology can inform conservation, pest management, and biosecurity. She is widely known for her contributions to vision‑based behaviour, animal cognition, and predatory strategies, and her research has been featured in major scientific outlets and international media.