Iain D. Couzin

Prof. Iain D. Couzin is Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and holds a Professorship in Biodiversity and Collective Behavior at the University of Konstanz. He co-leads the German Research Foundation (DFG) Excellence Cluster “Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour” and previously served as a full Professor in Princeton University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. His research focuses on uncovering the principles of collective behavior across biological scales, from neural networks to animal swarms and human societies.

Research interests span experimental and theoretical approaches, leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI-driven behavioral analysis and virtual reality for animals. These methods enable studies on coordination mechanisms in systems such as fish schools, locust swarms, and primate groups, with applications to robotics and social sciences.

Key awards include the Leibniz Prize (Germany’s highest research honor), Royal Society Fellowship, and multiple citations as a Highly Cited Researcher. His leadership roles include directing interdisciplinary teams at the Max Planck Institute and the Konstanz Excellence Cluster, fostering collaborations across physics, computer science, and biology.

• Awards: Royal Society Fellowship (2025), Leibniz Prize (2022), Fyssen Prize (2024), Lagrange Prize (2019)
• Labs/Teams: Collective Behavior Lab (Max Planck Institute), Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour (DFG Cluster)