The research group SEJ-658: Laboratory for Cognition, Health, Training and Interaction among Humans, Animals and Machines (CHTI) is a recently created group, which brings together researchers and professionals from different fields for the development of research and innovations in relation to with the well-being, interaction and training of human beings, animals and machines, from a consilient perspective, in the sense given to the term by Edward O. Wilson, founder of sociobiology and concepts such as biodiversity.

The name of the group tries to collect all the lines of action in which its founding members are currently participating: Cognition (knowledge) -which includes human, animal and machine learning processes-; Health (which includes the field of human, animal and machine well-being), Interaction (which includes relationships between men, animals and machines); and Training -which includes teaching, training or training processes in any field, both for human beings, for animals or for machines -AI & Learning Machines-.

Their vision of the current world and of the near future of technified societies is that of an increasingly important interaction between men, animals and machines, which makes them consider the need to consider in an interdisciplinary and consilient way the knowledge that is generated in the higher education institutions. Incorporating members and collaborators into the research group such as pedagogues, computer scientists, doctors, nurses, biologists, educators of different educational levels and professionals of animal training, they intend to carry out research and truly interdisciplinary transfer, addressing problems from different perspectives and with different methods.

From research and evidence-based practice, the current interests of the group and its collaborators focus on aspects such as: human well-being -especially in educational settings-, through intervention and animal-assisted therapy (stress reduction, support for people with disabilities or in long hospitalization, support for people with mild or serious mental disorders…); The design, development and evaluation of training programs; Research on healthy habits related to food and physical exercise; Training for employment and vocational training in general, especially in terms of the factors and profiles that determine the risk of abandonment.

Therefore, his main lines of research are:

• Study of health in relation to eating habits and physical activity, for purposes related to the design, development and evaluation of wellness and health programs.
• Intervention and assisted therapy with animals - dogs -, in areas such as higher education, physical and intellectual disability, mental health.
• Student well-being, academic stress, and early dropout from higher education.