Profile
Abstract
I am a Senior Researcher at the Human Biology & Primate Cognition Research Group at the Insititute of Biology.
I apply a comparative and evolutionary perspective to my work, and have recently become interested in the developmental aspect of cognition.
Past and current research projects focus on objectively measuring the perception and production of visual communicative and emotional cues. I have worked with a range of different primate species, including humans, orangutans, gorillas, crested and Japanese macaques, and marmosets. I have also conducted projects exploring cognition and communication topics in companion animals such as the domestic dog and the domestic cat.
My current projects include the development of two new tools for measuring facial expressions in gorillas and bonobos, as well as a developmental cross-species studies of facial expressions.
In my work, I use only non-invasive measurement and positive reinforcement methods, such as eye-tracking, salivary hormone recording, observations, and cognition testing. In addition, I am interested in how research findings from this field can be used to improve human-animal relationships and animal welfare.