Manon Schweinfurth

Dr. Manon Schweinfurth is a Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Associate Professor) at the School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews. She leads the Cooperation Lab, focusing on the evolutionary and psychological origins of cooperation in animals and humans. Her research involves studying chimpanzees, Norway rats, and humans using game theoretical models and experimental methods.

Education: BSc in Biology with Psychology from Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany); PhD in Evolutionary Biology from University of Bern (Switzerland), followed by a Swiss National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship studying chimpanzees in Zambia.

Research Interests: Evolution of social behaviors, mechanisms of cooperative decision-making, and cross-species comparisons of altruism. She emphasizes experimental approaches in lab and field settings to test theoretical predictions about reciprocity and social learning.

Awards: Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her recent work includes editing a Special Issue on Reciprocation in Ethology, highlighting interdisciplinary collaboration in understanding reciprocal cooperation.

Lab Affiliations: Cooperation Lab, Origins of Mind Research Group, Global Research Centre for Diverse Intelligences. Her lab is part of a collaborative network within the University of St Andrews, engaging in interdisciplinary research.