Meg Crofoot

Prof. Meg Crofoot is a Professor of Organismal Interactions at the University of Konstanz's Department of Biology and Director of the Department of Ecology of Animal Societies at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. Her research focuses on the social dynamics of collective behavior in animal groups, particularly sleep patterns in wild baboons. She leads the CO-SLEEP project, funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant, which combines GPS tracking, thermal imaging, and computational modeling to study sleep's role in social organization. Key achievements include the Packard Fellowship (2016) and Humboldt Professorship (2018).

Education & Career: Previously held professorships at UC Davis (2013-2019) and Princeton University (2009-2011), and was a research fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (2008-2013).

Research: Explores how social environments shape sleep patterns in group-living animals. Uses cutting-edge technologies to track 900+ baboons in Kenya, analyzing collective decision-making and ecological trade-offs.

Funding & Impact: ERC grant supports fieldwork integrating thermal imaging and GPS collars. Aims to redefine sleep studies beyond lab settings, with implications for understanding human social behaviors.