Jenny Tung

Jenny Tung is a Visiting Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University since 2024 and an Associate Professor of Biology at Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Duke, since 2018. She is also affiliated with multiple research centers, including the Duke Population Research Institute (2010–present), Center for Population Health & Aging (2011–present), Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (2012–present), and Duke Initiative for Science & Society (2014–present).

• Education: Ph.D. in Biology, Duke University (2010).

Her research bridges genetic and genomic tools with behavioral ecology to explore how social environments shape gene regulation, health, and evolutionary outcomes. Key projects focus on:

• Epigenetic consequences of social adversity in Amboseli baboons.
• Social status and gene regulation in rhesus macaques.
• Hybridization in baboons and its genomic impacts.
• Gut microbiome dynamics in wild primates.
• Comparative analyses of DNA methylation evolution.

Her 15 most recent articles highlight trends in epigenetics, social determinants of aging, gene-environment interactions, and primate microbiome dynamics. These works span wild baboons, rhesus macaques, and Damaraland mole-rats, with a focus on social hierarchy, adversity, and longevity.

Scientific Awards:

• 2019 MacArthur Fellow

She collaborates extensively with institutions like the Amboseli Baboon Research Project, Kalahari Meerkat Project, and teams at the University of Montreal, Emory, Wake Forest, and the University of Minnesota. Her lab develops methods for genomic studies in non-invasive samples and epigenetic modeling in natural populations.