معرفی
Gillian Brown is a Professor at the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, where she has progressed from Lecturer to Reader and ultimately to Professor. She is also the Co-Founder of the Centre for Research into Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and is affiliated with both the Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences and the Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution.
Professor Brown received her education at the University of Cambridge, where she earned both her undergraduate degree (BA Hons in Natural Sciences with a focus on Zoology) and her PhD. Before joining St Andrews, she completed a postdoctoral position at Cambridge.
Her research program focuses on understanding sex/gender differences and similarities in behavior and cognition from evolutionary perspectives. Professor Brown investigates how evolutionary theory can inform our understanding of human behavior, with particular attention to human mating strategies, the 'gender equality paradox,' and cultural evolutionary approaches. Her work often bridges biological and socio-cultural factors, examining how both influence behavioral development. She has conducted studies ranging from animal models (particularly rat studies examining hormonal influences on behavior) to direct human studies on gender differences in cognitive tasks, confidence, and social learning.
Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on gender differences in personality across cultures, the imposter phenomenon in academic settings, and evolutionary perspectives on human behavior. There's a clear trajectory in her work from animal models to human studies while maintaining an evolutionary framework throughout, with her third edition of 'Sense and Nonsense: Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Behaviour' synthesizing these approaches.
Professor Brown actively supervises postgraduate students and undergraduate research interns, welcoming prospective students to contact her about potential projects. Her research has been funded by organizations including the Carnegie Trust and the Wellcome Trust, supporting work on sex differences in brain and behavior.
She is actively involved in the academic community, having participated in the European Human Behaviour & Evolution Society, the Primate Society of Great Britain, and organized conferences including the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour conference in 2011. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality.
