Kin Selection Professors and Supervisors | ApplySharif

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Showing 31-45 of 254 supervisors

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Beate ApfelbeckView profile

Researcher

Paris Lodron University of SalzburgAustria

Beate Apfelbeck is a Senior Scientist at the University of Salzburg, affiliated with the Department of Environment & Biodiversity. She holds positions in Ecophysiology and Behavioral Endocrinology. Her research focuses on hormonal mechanisms underlying avian behavior, particularly in tropical and temperate bird species, with emphasis on reproductive success and responses to environmental changes. She has conducted studies in East Africa and Europe, addressing topics like habitat fragmentation and life history variation in stonechats. Education: PhD from Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (2007-2012), Diploma in Zoology from LMU Munich (2002-2007) Positions: Postdoc at University of Glasgow (2013-2016), Technical University of Munich (2016-2019) Her research integrates field studies and experimental approaches to understand how hormones mediate territorial behavior, parental care, and reproductive strategies. Recent work emphasizes urban biodiversity and wildlife-inclusive city design, highlighting the impact of human activities on bird populations. Key contributions include studies on cooperative breeding systems, telomere dynamics in stonechats, and conservation strategies for fragmented habitats. Publications span topics from avian endocrinology to urban ecology, with a focus on applying findings to conservation and sustainable urban planning. She collaborates internationally, addressing biodiversity challenges in Kenya and Germany.

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Colin HolbrookView profile

Associate Professor

University of California, MercedUnited States

Colin Holbrook is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Merced , affiliated with the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts and the Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences . His research focuses on decision-making under threat , social determinants of trust , and human-AI interaction during crises . University of California, Merced Cognitive and Information Sciences Department School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Research interests span evolutionary psychology , group prejudice , moral psychology , and human-robot interaction dynamics . Recent work investigates overtrust in AI recommendations , physical anthropomorphism effects , and cross-cultural pandemic behavior . Publications reveal consistent patterns in threat perception , social cognition , and robot trust calibration . Collaborative efforts include partnerships with institutions like the UCLA Center for Behavior, Evolution & Culture , the AHRC Culture and the Mind Project , and the Institute of Cognition & Culture . His lab develops virtual reality experiments for robot-guided emergency scenarios while exploring cognitive adaptations through transcranial magnetic stimulation and behavioral studies across diverse populations.

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Pranav MinasandraView profile

Researcher

Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorGermany

Dr. Pranav Minasandra is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (Konstanz, Germany), affiliated with the Department of Collective Behavior . His work combines quantitative ecology , animal movement modeling , and machine learning to uncover universal patterns in behavioral sequences across species. PhD in Animal Behavior from Max Planck Institute MSc and BS from Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) Research Focus: Analyzes behavioral predictivity decay and statistical similarities in animal sequences using accelerometry and theoretical frameworks. Recent work explores interspecies infant abduction and social coordination in meerkats/hyenas . Publications span PNAS , Proceedings B , and Current Biology , with 2025 papers revealing truncated power-law patterns in behavior and collective movement dynamics . His Best Paper Award (University of Konstanz) highlights groundbreaking contributions to behavioral sequence analysis. Collaborates with networks including Meg Crofoot , Ari Strandburg-Peshkin , and Vlad Demartsev . Tools developed include VocalPy integrations and predictivity decay metrics for behavioral forecasting.

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Gerald BorgiaView profile

Professor

University of Maryland, College ParkUnited States

Gerald Borgia is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland's College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, with affiliations at the Brain and Behavior Institute. His office is located in the Biology-Psychology Building (4239). He earned his Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of Michigan, specializing in the evolution of mate choice, social structure, and sociobiology. Borgia leads the Borgia Lab, which studies the evolution of mate choice and male display in nonresource-based mating systems, using bowerbirds as a model system. His research focuses on sexual selection, lek mating systems, complex male displays, female mate choice strategies, threat reduction in courtship, and the co-option of display traits. The lab maintains a long-term field site at Wallaby Creek in Australia for studying satin bowerbirds. Analysis of Borgia's recent publications shows consistent themes in sexual selection and animal communication. His work demonstrates increasing sophistication in experimental approaches, including robotic females, chemical manipulation of bowers, and cognitive testing. Recent articles focus on the role of cognitive ability in mating success, chemical signaling through bower paint, dynamic adjustment of male displays, and the relationship between aerobic capacity and sexual performance. Borgia actively advises graduate students and maintains a substantial research team. He recruits field assistants for Australian fieldwork and laboratory volunteers for video analysis. His NSF-funded research supports graduate students working on diverse projects including mate searching, juvenile display development, male-female signaling dynamics, and aerobic capacity studies. The lab collaborates with molecular systematists at the Smithsonian Institution and National Zoo.

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Pablo Capilla LasherasView profile

Researcher

University of GlasgowUnited Kingdom

Pablo Capilla Lasheras is an Affiliate Researcher at the School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow. His research focuses on ecology, urban impacts on wildlife, avian physiology, and evolutionary biology. He has been funded by organizations such as the Wild Animal Initiative and Wellcome Trust. 2023–Present: Research Associate (Wild Animal Initiative-funded) 2019–2023: Research Assistant, University of Glasgow 2015–2019: PhD in Biology, University of Exeter 2014–2015: MSc in Quantitative Methods, University of Glasgow 2009–2013: BSc in Environmental Biology, Complutense University of Madrid His research interests include urban effects on animal behavior, gut microbiome roles in migration, and evolutionary trade-offs in cooperative breeding. He has published widely on topics like urbanization impacts on avian health, clutch size dynamics, and chronotype effects on reproduction. Grants include: "It Takes Guts to Grow in the City": Wild Animal Initiative (2022–2023) "Animal and Human Health Consequences of Gut Microbiome Variation": Wellcome Trust (2022) His work explores urbanization’s multifaceted effects on wildlife, integrating physiological, behavioral, and ecological perspectives.

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Priyadarshini Chakrabarti BasuView profile

Assistant Professor

Oregon State UniversityUnited States

Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture within Oregon State University's College of Agricultural Sciences. Her research program integrates molecular entomology, apiculture, and ecotoxicology to address critical challenges in pollinator health. Her research focuses on honey bee nutrition , pesticide impacts , and molecular mechanisms underlying bee health. She employs advanced techniques including proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics to investigate how nutritional stressors, pesticides, and pathogens affect honey bee physiology and behavior. Her work spans laboratory investigations to field studies across diverse agricultural landscapes. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals strong emphasis on nutritional biochemistry (particularly sterol metabolism), sublethal pesticide effects , and molecular response mechanisms in honey bees. Her research bridges fundamental molecular biology with practical apicultural applications, generating insights relevant to both managed and wild pollinator populations. Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring by a Postdoc Award, Oregon State University, 2021 Excellence in Early Career Award, Pacific Branch of Entomological Society of America, 2020 Postdoctoral Excellence Award, Oregon State University, 2019 Royal Society Newton International Post Doctoral Fellowship, 2016 DST-INSPIRE Fellowship, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India Dr. Chakrabarti Basu has secured significant research funding including USDA-AFRI grants ($500,000) and multiple awards from the California State Beekeepers' Association and Project Apis m. She serves as Principal Investigator on several active projects investigating pesticide impacts and nutritional requirements in honey bees. Her extension work includes the popular OSU Pollination Podcast and numerous outreach publications aimed at beekeepers and agricultural professionals. She leads research initiatives within OSU's Pollinator Health & Apiculture Lab, which emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion in its scientific community. Her work connects molecular mechanisms to field applications, providing actionable insights for improving pollinator health in agricultural ecosystems.

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Ben J HatchwellView profile

Professor

University of SheffieldUnited Kingdom

Professor Ben J Hatchwell is a Professor of Evolutionary Ecology at the University of Sheffield's School of Biosciences. His roles include academic leadership, research supervision, and editorial contributions to journals like Behavioral Ecology and Animal Behaviour . He holds a BA from the University of Oxford (1984) and a PhD from the University of Sheffield (1988). His research focuses on social evolution and population ecology, particularly cooperative breeding in birds, kin recognition mechanisms, and urban avian populations. Notable projects include long-term studies of long-tailed tits, monk parakeets, and seabirds like guillemots. He has received a Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2008–2009). Teaching responsibilities include field courses in France and Borneo, and supervision of MBiolSci, MRes, and PhD students. His research group includes post-doctoral and PhD researchers exploring topics like kin recognition, population genetics, and invasive species dynamics. Professional Memberships: International Society for Behavioral Ecology (President 2016–2018), Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (Council 2006–2009). Key Projects: Studies on cooperative breeding in long-tailed tits, monk parakeet invasion history, and seabird population dynamics.

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Lieven PauwelsView profile

Professor

Ghent UniversityBelgium

Lieven Pauwels is a Professor in the Department of Criminology, Criminal Law and Social Law at Ghent University's Faculty of Law and Criminology. His academic work bridges criminological theory with evolutionary biology and moral philosophy, creating a unique interdisciplinary approach to understanding human behavior and social systems. His research interests focus on the evolutionary foundations of morality, cooperation, and free will, examining how biological processes shape human social behavior and ethical systems. He also conducts significant research on drug policy and the social costs of legal and illegal substances in Belgium, providing evidence-based analysis for policy development. His work demonstrates how evolutionary perspectives can inform contemporary criminological theory and social policy. Pauwels' publication record shows a clear trend toward integrating biological and evolutionary perspectives with traditional criminological frameworks. His recent work explores topics ranging from the neurobiological basis of free will to the evolutionary roots of moral emotions like shame and indignation. This interdisciplinary approach has positioned him as a distinctive voice in European criminology that challenges conventional disciplinary boundaries. Economic consequences of legal and illegal drugs (2017) Multiple publications on evolutionary biology and morality (2025) Analysis of cancel culture through historical criminological perspectives (2025) While specific grant information isn't provided in the available text, his research on drug policy social costs suggests involvement in significant policy-oriented research projects, likely funded by Belgian or European research councils. His work appears designed to inform practical policy decisions while contributing to theoretical advancements in criminology. Pauwels maintains an active research program focused on the intersection of biology, evolution, and social behavior, with recent work examining contemporary social issues like cancel culture through historical and evolutionary lenses. His research demonstrates continuity between theoretical criminology and practical policy concerns, particularly regarding substance abuse and social costs.

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Ludwig HuberView profile

Researcher

University of ViennaAustria

Ludwig Huber is a faculty member at the University of Vienna's Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, since 1996. He holds the academic rank of Researcher with a focus on behavioral and cognitive biology across species. Key Research Areas: Behavioral Neuroscience, Social Learning, Animal Behavior, Neuroimaging, Comparative Psychology, and Conservation Biology Huber's publication record spans over 116 works, with recent emphasis on social cognition in canines (2023), nonverbal child psychology (2024), and cross-species neural engagement (2024). His projects include evolutionary psychology research for "Like me" (2012-2016) and physics understanding studies (2009-2012). While no explicit awards are documented here, his 107 conference activities and 7 media engagements (including 2016 coverage of amphibian kin recognition) demonstrate significant academic outreach. Current work continues through 2024 with neuro-cognitive studies in animal behavior.

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Kenyon MobleyView profile

Associate Professor

UiT The Arctic University of NorwayNorway

Kenyon Mobley is an Associate Professor at the Norwegian Fisheries College, part of UiT The Arctic University of Norway. His research focuses on the interplay between evolutionary biology, ecology, and genetic architecture in marine organisms. Key research areas: Genetics/Genomics, Marine Biology, Ecotoxicology, Parasitology, Reproduction, Fish Health Current emphasis on fish maturation and reproduction, particularly in Atlantic salmon Other interests: Local adaptation, ecological speciation, sexual selection, parental care, human-induced stressors His recent publications explore genotype-environment interactions in salmon maturation, sexual selection dynamics in marine fish, and phylogeographic patterns in Syngnathidae species. Collaborative work spans topics from nutritional ecology to population genetics. Teaching includes courses in aquatic biology and fish health. He collaborates with international researchers and participates in fieldwork involving marine ecosystems and wild population studies.

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Francesca FiegnaView profile

Researcher

ETH ZurichSwitzerland

Dr. Francesca Fiegna is part of the Professorship for Evolutionary Biology at ETH Zurich's Department of Environmental Systems Science, within the Institute of Integrative Biology. Her research focuses on microbial ecology, particularly bacterial social behavior, predation dynamics, and density-dependent traits under environmental stress. She investigates how ecological contexts like temperature and pH influence predator-prey relationships and microbial community structures. Key research interests include: microbial predation reversal mechanisms, evolutionary responses to novel environments, and the role of kin discrimination in microbial social systems. Her work integrates experimental evolution, genetic analysis, and ecological modeling to understand cooperative behaviors and evolutionary hotspots in soil microbes. Recent studies highlight her exploration of Myxococcus xanthus as a model organism, examining outer membrane exchange, kin recognition, and population-level adaptations. She also explores applications of predatory bacteria as biocontrol agents against fungal pathogens like Zymoseptoria tritici. Collaborations include funding from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) grants, focusing on motile bacterial adaptation and predation mechanisms.

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Christina RiehlView profile

Associate Professor

Princeton UniversityUnited States

Christina Riehl is an Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, affiliated with the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) as part of the Grand Challenges Program. Her research focuses on behavioral ecology and evolution, tropical ecology, and the impacts of climate on animal behavior and reproductive strategies. She leads the Riehl Lab, studying cooperative behavior in birds like the greater ani, exploring topics such as social group dynamics, brood parasitism, and decision-making in natural settings. Key research areas include understanding how cooperation evolves among unrelated individuals, the role of climate cycles (e.g., El Niño) on tropical species, and the interplay between behavior, resources, and environmental pressures. Her work combines field studies in Panama, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic with molecular approaches. Recent findings highlight mechanisms of egg rejection in hosts of brood parasites, the fitness benefits of cooperative breeding, and the cognitive challenges of social living. Riehl has been recognized as a Kavli Fellow (National Academy of Sciences) and received an NSF CAREER Award. Her lab supports a dynamic team of graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates, with ongoing projects on collective decision-making, sex ratio biases, and the evolution of mating systems in tropical birds. She also collaborates on large-scale datasets analyzing global avian nesting success and climate impacts. Grants: NSF CAREER Award (2019), Princeton Environmental Institute grants. Awards: Kavli Fellow, Nature Paper Highlight (2019), Princeton Research Day awards. Labs/Teams: Riehl Lab (Princeton), collaborations with global institutions on tropical bird studies.

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Joseph TomkinsView profile

Associate Professor

The University of Western AustraliaAustralia

Joseph Tomkins is an Associate Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Sheffield and a PhD from the University of Liverpool. His career spans fellowships from the Royal Society, ARC, and Forrest Research Foundation. Royal Society/UWA Fellowship (1997–2000) Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2000–2005) ARC Australian Research Fellowship (2005–2011) ARC Future Fellowship (2011–2015) Research Focus: Tomkins' work bridges fundamental and applied evolutionary biology, with emphasis on sexual selection , threshold traits , and experimental evolution . He explores the genetic architecture of sexually selected traits, allometry, and developmental integration, extending to human twinning through mathematical models and tick behavior under climate change. Current projects use experimental evolution in algae to study anisogamy evolution and climate adaptation . Scientific Awards: BBSRC David Philips Fellowship Royal Society University Research Fellowship ARC Australian Research Fellowship ARC Future Fellowship Grants & Leadership: He leads ARC-funded projects (DP 2017–2020, DP22 2022–2025) on sexual selection and anisogamy. He has coordinated teaching (2007–2014), chaired committees (Health and Safety, Research), and supervised 11 postgraduate students.

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Silvia ParacchiniView profile

Professor

University of St AndrewsUnited Kingdom

Silvia Paracchini is Professor of Neurogenetics and Genomics at the University of St Andrews, School of Medicine , where she leads the Neurogenetics group within the Cellular Medicine Division. She is affiliated with several interdisciplinary units including the Centre for Biophotonics, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences, and the St Andrews Bioinformatics Unit. Her research focuses on the genetic basis of complex cognitive and behavioral phenotypes , particularly dyslexia, handedness, language disorders, and neurodevelopmental conditions . She employs multidisciplinary approaches such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), whole exome sequencing, polygenic scoring, and functional genomics to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals in health and well-being. Recent publications reveal strong trends in human genetics and neurodevelopmental genomics , with studies on handedness, language acquisition in bilingual children, grip strength in youth, and machine learning applications in mental health . Her research increasingly integrates public and patient involvement , as seen in work shaping UK research priorities through lived experience of learning difficulties. Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (2018) Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2019) Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2011) Member of the RSE Young Academy of Scotland (2013, 2014) She actively mentors postgraduate researchers and leads significant funded projects, including the Specific Learning Difficulties Network funded by the Medical Research Council. Her lab produces open datasets and software, promoting transparency and reproducibility. She is an active participant in international conferences and public engagement, including media appearances on Left Handers Day . Her research group, the Neurogenetics group , collaborates widely across the UK and internationally, with recent work involving institutions in Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, and the US. She has served as Principal Investigator on grants from the Medical Research Council, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Scottish Funding Council .

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Hannu LehtiView profile

Research Fellow

University of TurkuFinland

Hannu Lehti is an Academy Research Fellow at the INVEST Research Flagship Centre and a University Teacher in the Department of Social Research at the University of Turku, Finland. His work integrates sociology, quantitative methods, and evolutionary social science to examine intergenerational mobility, educational outcomes, and social stratification. Academy Research Fellow, INVEST Research Flagship Centre University Teacher, Department of Social Research PhD, Docent in Social Sciences His research centers on the interplay between family background, kinship networks, and socioeconomic attainment across generations. He applies evolutionary social science frameworks—such as the Trivers-Willard hypothesis—to explain gendered educational investments and adoption behaviors. His work emphasizes the complex transmission of disadvantages through family structures and extended kin, using Finnish population data and advanced quantitative methods. Lehti's recent publications span topics including the gender achievement gap, adoption typologies, perceived economic disadvantage in children, and the duration of university studies influenced by cultural and economic capital. His work appears in journals like Frontiers in Sociology , Journal of Biosocial Science , and Evolutionary Psychological Science , reflecting a strong interdisciplinary focus bridging sociology, psychology, and biosocial sciences. His scientific contributions have not yet been publicly linked to specific awards or fellowships, but his consistent publication record in high-quality journals underscores his impact in the field. He has supervised or advised no publicly listed students. However, he collaborates with prominent researchers such as Antti O. Tanskanen, Janne Salminen, and Markus Laaninen. His research is supported through the INVEST Flagship Centre, suggesting involvement in large-scale, team-based projects focusing on well-being and inequality. He likely contributes to teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in quantitative methods and social theory. Lehti maintains active research profiles on ORCID and ResearchGate , facilitating academic collaboration and dissemination.

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