Projects

Welcome! Below you’ll find a summary of my major field projects and the thematic directions that guide my research. Click the buttons below to discover more about my field projects and the major questions I investigate across the Pan genus and beyond.

Field Projects

Notable Research Projects

Comparative Pan behavioral and evolutionary ecology

A central focus of my research is to move beyond the limitations of single-population, individual-based studies by harnessing the remarkable spatial and temporal diversity present across the Pan genus. As a long-time collaborator with the Pan African Programme (PanAf) and co-creator of the Bonobo Diversity (BonDiv) project—which take large-scale, comparative approaches to studying Pan—I am invested in uncovering the broader ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying chimpanzee and bonobo behavioral diversity, speciation, and adaptation. This comparative approach allows us to probe how ecological variability shapes evolutionary relationships—illuminating, for example, how differences in habitat, resource distribution, and seasonality influence physiological patterns, behavior, and ultimately the processes of speciation within Pan.

While there is significant foundational value in detailed site-based research, my work increasingly aims to leverage data across research stations and landscapes to reveal large-scale patterns—such as existing and ongoing work analyzing seasonal physiological variation across multiple Pan populations, or upcoming work using floristic datasets to map the breadth and origins of ecological flexibility within western chimpanzees. In doing so, I hope that my research not only advances our understanding of Pan evolution, but also offers important perspectives on the ecological drivers that may have shaped the evolution of our own species.

Improving conservation efficacy for chimpanzees and other taxa

A major theme of my research is improving the coordination and overall efficacy of conservation efforts for chimpanzees and other species by promoting holistic, synergistic approaches that transcend traditional boundaries in conservation planning. One line of my work examines the scale and focus of existing conservation actions—assessing how action plans often overlap, diverge in their taxonomic or thematic focus, or leave critical gaps—and explores how aligning strategies across different taxa and sectors can reveal operational synergies and maximize impact. Another complementary project builds on insights from studies of floristic resource use among chimpanzees, emphasizing that practitioners must look beyond protecting individuals to consider the broader ecological contexts, such as key plant species necessary for ape survival. This research challenges the notion of “one-size-fits-all” conservation, instead advocating for strategies that recognize and accommodate the remarkable ecological flexibility of chimpanzees and the intertwined nature of species and habitat needs. By fostering integrated planning that addresses the biological, ecological, and cultural requirements of wildlife, my work aims to inform and empower more effective, resilient, and sustainable conservation initiatives for chimpanzees and the wider biodiversity with which they coexist.

Applying behavior(al diversity) to conservation

I am increasingly interested in exploring how animal behavioral variability—from individual to population-level differences—can be more effectively integrated into conservation science and practice. I am interested in what behavioral diversity means for populations at every stage of conservation action: from monitoring and assessment, through planning, to the implementation of management strategies. Much of my current work addresses when and how variable behaviors—such as cultures—should be considered in decision-making and management, and what practical implications this has for improving conservation outcomes. With a focus on developing frameworks for real-world applications, I aim to ensure that the advocacy for incorporating the complex behavioral repertoires of animals are thoughtfully incorporated into conservation, ultimately enhancing both the effectiveness and the ethical integrity of such interventions.

Pan ecology at the extremes

A long-standing theme of my research has been understanding how chimpanzees and bonobos—two of our closest living relatives—navigate and adapt to the ecological limits of their niches. In this work I largely focus on populations living in extreme environments, such as savanna chimpanzees thriving in arid, unpredictable landscapes and bonobos persisting in complex, resource-rich forests. Through a combination of detailed ecological monitoring, behavioral observation, and analyses of resource use and physiology, I'm interested in uncovering the mechanisms and adaptive strategies that individuals develop to cope with variability, scarcity, and uncertainty. Essential to these questions is also an examining of what ecological and niche marginality truly mean—both in terms of how such marginality is identified and defined by researchers, and what it means for the lived experiences and adaptability of individuals living at range edges. With this more fine-scaled, site-based approach I hope to deepen our understanding of the drivers of adaptation in Pan and offering powerful models for the evolutionary processes underpinning flexibility in our own species.