Damien Caillaud

Damien Caillaud is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Davis, affiliated with the Animal Behavior Graduate Group. His research focuses on behavioral ecology, particularly social behavior, movement patterns, and disease dynamics in primates, with a strong emphasis on gorillas. He leads the Caillaud Lab, which investigates social networks in animals, ecological drivers of movement, and disease transmission in group-living species. Dr. Caillaud has conducted fieldwork across Africa and beyond, studying primates in diverse habitats. He developed the Animal Observer, a free iPad app for behavioral data collection. His teaching includes courses on human evolutionary biology, primate conservation, and disease ecology.

Education: Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (University of Montpellier, 2006); D.V.M. (Nantes Veterinary College, 2003); M.S. in Evolutionary Biology (University of Montpellier, 2003); B.S. in Population Biology (University of Nantes, 2002).

Research Themes:

• Animal social networks and their variability
• Ecological and social drivers of animal movement
• Infectious disease dynamics in primates
• Conservation applications of behavioral data

Publications highlight his work on gorilla behavior, disease ecology, and conservation strategies. His recent studies address topics like Grauer’s gorilla population viability, golden monkey conservation, and the impact of environmental factors on animal movement.

The Caillaud Lab collaborates globally, integrating quantitative methods with field observations. Current projects include long-term gorilla studies and app-based data collection tools for ecological research.