How can we best quantify individual differences in social behaviour? Using a combination of behavioural observations, field experiments, and social network analyses, I aim to determine what behavioural phenotypes exist in wild primate populations.

Which proximate processes mediate individual differences in social behaviour across different ecological settings? Using non-invasive field sampling and endocrinology, I quantify physiological correlates of social behaviours and ecology, with a main focus on the role of glucocorticoids.

How do socioecological settings during development predict physiological and behavioural phenotypes later in life? My more recent work has taken a ontogenetic approach to understanding social behaviour. Primates are long-lived species with protracted developmental phases and prolonged dependencies on mothers for care and nutrition, therefore, I’m particularly interested in the evolution of maternal care and its role in shaping social phenotypes.

The current geological epoch, the Anthropocene, is characterised by widespread human-derived alterations of wildlife socioecology. The rate of these changes may now be exceeding many species’ rate of adaptation, leading to evolutionary mismatches between genotypes evolved in a pre-Anthropocene era. I want to understand how this impacts individuals and populations, and the limitations of developmental and behavioural plasticity in coping with a rapidly changing world.