Rebecca Stumpf

Rebecca Stumpf is a Full Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois, with additional appointments in Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, and Center for African Studies. She has been at the University of Illinois since 2004 and was promoted to Full Professor with Distinction in 2016. Dr. Stumpf is also a University Scholar and Guggenheim Fellow, reflecting her distinguished academic career.

Dr. Stumpf's research focuses on comparative biology and microbial ecology from a One Health perspective, with emphasis on primate behavior, host-microbial relationships, and reproductive biology. Her work employs next-generation microbial sequencing, hormonal and genetic analyses, and behavioral field studies to investigate sexual conflict, adolescent development, dispersal decisions, and reproductive function in primates. She has conducted long-term field studies of wild chimpanzees in Africa for over 25 years, initially in the Ivory Coast and more recently in Uganda through the Kanyanchu River Research Collaborative.

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward comparative microbiome studies across primates, examining how factors like habitat, diet, social structure, and phylogeny influence microbial communities. Her research spans broad disciplines including biological anthropology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, and conservation science, with specific attention to gut microbiomes, vaginal microbiomes, and their relationship to health outcomes like preterm birth.

• 2021-2025 Fulbright Specialist
• 2021-2022 Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study Faculty Fellowship
• 2016-2019 University Scholar (Illinois' highest faculty honor)
• 2016-2017 J.S. Guggenheim Fellow
• Multiple teaching awards including Teachers Ranked as Excellent (2004-2016)

Dr. Stumpf has received substantial funding for her research, including multiple NSF grants (BCS, HOMINID), NIH funding, and support from the Leakey Foundation, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and University of Illinois Research Board. She has mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to successful academic and professional careers. Her lab conducts research in multiple areas including comparative microbiomes, field studies of wild chimpanzees, and evolutionary endocrinology, with field sites in Uganda and collaborations across multiple institutions.