Kevin Lala

Prof Kevin Lala is a Professor in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews, where he leads the Laland Lab. He holds affiliations with the Centre for Biological Diversity, Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences, and Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution. His academic qualifications include a Ph.D. in Psychology from University College London and a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Southampton.

Prof Lala’s research focuses on animal social learning, niche construction theory, and human cognitive evolution. Key areas include the evolution of intelligence in primates, the role of cultural inheritance in shaping biological evolution, and the interplay between genes and culture. His work integrates experimental studies with mathematical modeling, contributing to the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis framework.

Recent publications emphasize global patterns of avian nesting behavior, the impact of anthropogenic environments on wildlife, and the refinement paradox in cumulative cultural evolution. His work has been recognized through prestigious awards like the PROSE Award for Biological Science (2018) and the British Psychological Society’s Best Academic Book Prize (2017).

Prof Lala supervises PhD students Sven Kasser and Lucas Mathieu. He has led major research projects funded by the John Templeton Foundation, including studies on gene-culture coevolution and niche construction. His contributions extend to science communication, with articles in New Scientist and popular books like Darwin’s Unfinished Symphony.

Prof Lala actively participates in academic activities, including keynote lectures at Darwin Day Celebrations and workshops on evolutionary theory. His research lab hosts international collaborations and produces datasets for non-human primate neuroimaging, advancing comparative studies in cognitive evolution.