Kirrilly Thompson is a senior researcher at CQUniversity's Appleton Institute in Adelaide. She is a trained anthropologist who uses ethnographic methods to research the cultural dimensions of risk-perception and safety. She has particular interests in human-animal interactions, high risk interspecies activities and equestrianism. Her current research explores the impact of animal ownership on natural disaster preparedness. She is the president-elect of the Society for Risk Analysis and vice president of the Horse Federation of South Australia.