Rahel Brügger

Rahel Brügger is a behavioral biologist and primatologist working as a Researcher at the University of Zurich's Department of Anthropology within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She is currently part of the ERC Research Project ENGINE, investigating the consequences of interdependence in cooperatively breeding common marmosets to understand the uniqueness of human cognition. Her research combines experimental approaches with innovative non-invasive methods to study social cognition and behavior in primates.

Dr. Brügger's research interests focus on the evolution of morality and theory of mind abilities, with particular emphasis on social evaluation and third-party understanding in common marmosets.

• She investigates marmoset vigilance behavior as an indicator of understanding conspecifics' attentional states
• Her work examines marmoset sensitivity to audience effects in social contexts
• She employs thermography as a non-invasive method to measure arousal levels during social evaluations
• Her research explores how cooperative breeding systems shape social cognition
• She applies advanced statistical methods using R for data analysis

Her approach combines naturalistic observation with controlled experimental paradigms to gain insight into animal minds.

Analyzing her publication record from 2018-2025 reveals consistent research output focused on marmoset social cognition, with recent work expanding into play behavior ontogeny, novelty exploration dynamics, and rhythmic coordination mechanisms. Her articles demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach bridging primatology, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology, with a strong emphasis on methodological innovation through non-invasive techniques like thermography. The research shows increasing sophistication in experimental design and theoretical framing, particularly regarding how cooperative breeding systems may have shaped cognitive abilities relevant to human social evolution.

Her current work as part of the ERC Research Project ENGINE represents a significant research commitment, investigating how interdependence in cooperative breeding systems influences cognitive development. While no specific students are mentioned in the available materials, her position suggests potential mentoring responsibilities within the research project. The ERC funding indicates substantial research support for her investigations into primate social cognition.

Dr. Brügger's laboratory work appears centered around non-invasive experimental approaches for studying marmoset cognition, with particular expertise in thermographic measurement of physiological responses. Her research team likely includes collaborators across disciplines given the methodological diversity evident in her publications, combining expertise in primatology, physiology, and cognitive science to address complex questions about social cognition evolution.