Jenny Tung

Jenny Tung is a Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology at Duke University and Director of the Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. She holds a PhD from Duke University's Biology Department and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago's Department of Human Genetics. Her research focuses on the interplay between behavior, social structure, and genetic processes in nonhuman primates and social mammals, particularly exploring how social environments influence gene regulation, population genetics, and health outcomes. Key areas include microbiome dynamics, social determinants of survival, and epigenetic responses to adversity. Tung founded the MPI-EVA Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution in 2022, advancing interdisciplinary studies of primate biology and behavior. Her work integrates field studies with genomic and physiological approaches, emphasizing long-term datasets from wild populations. Recent studies highlight social and environmental predictors of health, microbiome transmission, and the genomic consequences of hybridization in baboons.