Maggie O'Haire
- Associate Dean, Research - College of Veterinary Medicine
- Professor, Veterinary Medicine
- Professor, Psychology
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
- Administration, Rm. 512
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- maggieohaire@arizona.edu
Biography
Dr. Marguerite (Maggie) O’Haire is an internationally recognized Fulbright Scholar. She is a Professor of Human-Animal Interaction and the Associate Dean for Research in the UArizona College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned her BA in Psychology from Vassar College in New York and her PhD in Psychology from The University of Queensland in Australia. Her research program focuses on scientifically evaluating the unique and pervasive ways that humans interact with animals. From research with household pets to highly trained service animals, her findings have been instrumental in evaluating the effects of human-animal interactions. She has received funding from three different National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutes/centers (NICHD, NCCIH, NCATS) to fund her human-animal interaction science. Check out an interview with Dr. O’Haire and NIH Medline Plus and her "Meet the Anthrozoologist" Interview to see her advice on becoming a human-animal interaction researcher.
Dr. O’Haire’s research topics have included classroom-based, animal-assisted intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder and the effects of service dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their families. In addition to her peer-reviewed publications and textbook chapters, her work has also been highlighted in over 2,000 media stories around the globe, including NPR, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. Dr. O’Haire has won the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) Early Career Award and the Young Alumnae Achievement Award from Vassar College for her exceptional professional achievements. At the University of Arizona, she currently enjoys mentoring students at all levels in her productive human-animal interaction research group.
You can follow the research team @ohairelab on Facebook and Twitter.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Psychology
- University of Queensland, Australia
- B.A. Psychology
- Vassar College, New York, United States
Awards
- 2024 Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award
- University of Arizona, Spring 2024 (Award Nominee)
- Women of Impact
- University of Arizona, Fall 2023
Interests
Research
Human-Animal Interaction | Human-Animal Bond | Animal-Assisted Intervention | Service Animals | Dogs | Psychology
Courses
2024-25 Courses
-
Dissertation
PSY 920 (Spring 2025) -
Independent Study
PSY 499 (Spring 2025) -
Directed Research
INFO 492 (Fall 2024) -
Dissertation
PSY 920 (Fall 2024) -
Independent Study
PSY 499 (Fall 2024) -
Indiv Scientific Writing
CR 597 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Dissertation
PSY 920 (Spring 2024) -
Honors Thesis
PSY 498H (Spring 2024) -
Independent Study
ACBS 499 (Spring 2024) -
Independent Study
PSY 399 (Spring 2024) -
Independent Study
PSY 499 (Spring 2024) -
Research
PSY 900 (Spring 2024) -
Directed Research
PSYS 392 (Fall 2023) -
Honors Thesis
PSY 498H (Fall 2023) -
Independent Study
ACBS 499 (Fall 2023) -
Independent Study
PSY 399 (Fall 2023) -
Research
PSY 900 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Directed Research
PSYS 392 (Spring 2023) -
Directed Research
PSYS 492 (Spring 2023) -
Independent Study
ACBS 199 (Spring 2023) -
Independent Study
PSY 199 (Spring 2023) -
Independent Study
PSY 399 (Spring 2023) -
Research
PSY 900 (Spring 2023)
Scholarly Contributions
Chapters
- Mao, A., Nieforth, L., Rodriguez, K., & O'Haire, M. (2023). Companion animals in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. In The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders.. American Psychiatric Association.
Journals/Publications
- Leighton, S. C., Nieforth, L. O., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022).
Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis
. PLOS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274960More infoPsychiatric assistance dogs for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) currently make up over 19% of assistance dog partnerships globally. We conducted a systematic review of the literature relating to these partnerships, with specific aims to (1) summarize their characteristics, (2) evaluate the quality of existing evidence, and (3) summarize outcomes. A total of 432 records were independently screened (Cohen's kappa = 0.90). Of these, 41 articles (29 peer-reviewed publications and 12 unpublished dissertations) met inclusion criteria. Data extraction was conducted to address the research aims, including a meta-analysis (quantitative outcomes) and meta-synthesis (qualitative outcomes). All peer-reviewed publications on the topic of psychiatric assistance dogs for veterans with PTSD were published within the last five years. The majority of included articles were quantitative (53%), 41% were qualitative, and 6% employed mixed methods. Mean methodological rigor scores were 80% for peer reviewed articles and 71% for dissertations, where higher scores represent more rigorous methodology. Quantitative articles reported significant improvements in the domains of PTSD severity, mental health, and social health. Impacts on physical health and global quality of life appear inconclusive. Meta-analysis (9 articles) revealed that partnership with an assistance dog had a clinically meaningful, significant, and large effect on PTSD severity scores (g = -1.129; p
Presentations
- Miller, E., Schwichtenberg, A., Sabbaghi, A., Zhuang, R., O'Haire, M., Nieforth, L., & Rodriguez, K. (2023). A longitudinal analysis of the cortisol awakening response in a population of military veterans with and without psychiatric service dogs for posttraumatic stress disorder. International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ). Edinburgh, UK.
