Helen Elizabeth Davis

Helen Elizabeth Davis is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change and a Research Scientist at the Institute of Human Origins. Her research focuses on hunter-gatherer societies, cognitive development, and cultural influences on human behavior. She teaches graduate courses such as ASB 790 (Reading and Conference) and ASB 799 (Dissertation).

Her work examines topics including gendered labor divisions in foraging communities, cognitive aging, and the impact of schooling on children’s abstract reasoning. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in diverse populations like the Tsimané of Bolivia and the Twe of Namibia, analyzing spatial cognition, navigation, and socioecological influences on child development.

Key research themes include the interplay between cultural context and cognitive processes, the evolution of human social systems, and global health disparities. She collaborates on projects like the Developing Belief Network and the Tsimane Health and Life History Project, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human diversity.