Annika Freudiger

Annika Freudiger is a PhD student at the University of Leipzig and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, focusing on the intersection of Behavioral Ecology, Kin Selection, and Genetic Relatedness in primates.

Education:

• University of Bern: MSc in Ecology and Evolution (summa cum laude), 2019–2021
• University of Bern: BSc in Biology, 2015–2019

Research interests revolve around understanding how fine-scale genetic relatedness influences social behavior in primates, using whole genome sequencing (WGS) to refine kinship estimates and explore social preferences. Additional work includes field studies on cooperative breeding in cichlids and predator response dynamics.

Scientific contributions include published works in PNAS and other journals, with a focus on morphological differentiation and task partitioning in social species.

Awards and recognition:

• 2023: Best Student Talk at Behaviour 2023
• 2022: Volz-Award for best master thesis publication
• 2020: Travel stipend from Ethologische Gesellschaft e.V.