Mark Atkinson

Mark Atkinson is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Heriot-Watt University since 2023, with a focus on sociocultural influences on behavior transmission and cumulative culture. He has held prior academic roles including Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Stirling (2022), and post-doctoral positions at the University of St Andrews (2020-22) and the University of Stirling (2015-20).

• PhD in Language Evolution from the University of Edinburgh (2016)
• MSc in Linguistics (University of Leeds) and Mathematics (University of Sheffield)

His research bridges social learning, cultural evolution, and public health, particularly examining how group dynamics influence pandemic responses and exploring cumulative culture mechanisms in humans and non-human primates.

Recent publications highlight applications to COVID-19 compliance and comparative studies with capuchin monkeys. He also teaches Research Methods, Organizational Culture, and supervises student projects.