Current research projects
Kinda baboon social microbiome
My postdoctoral research is examining the link between social integration, individual personality traits, and gut microbiome diversity of wild kinda baboons living in Kasanka National Park. As part of the Kasanka Baboon Project, I spent the first six months of my postdoc setting up sampling and behavioral data collection protocols for this project, training our new team on sampling methods and collecting data for the project at Kasanka National Park, Zambia. This summer, I will be processing the samples that we collected over the past year to quantify the diversity indices of kinda baboon gut microbiome.
PhD projects (SMGRP)
My dissertation examined the effect of social environments in shaping male life history using long term data from the Simien Mountains Gelada Research Project (SMGRP) in Ethiopia. I employed a three pronged approach incorporating field endocrinology, genetics, and behavioral analysis in order to answer questions related to the mechanism and function of male reproductive behaviors. Broadly, my research focuses on two distinct stages within male gelada life history where individual differences in behavioral strategies may emerge –
i. development in juvenile males and subsequent dispersal strategies, and
ii. dominance in leader males and individual variation in male reproductive strategies
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Male development
This research focuses on the social correlates of male development in geladas. Using long term data on behavior, demography, and hormones spanning 14 years, we first quantified the age specific androgen profiles for developing male geladas. We found that maternal rank influences male androgen production in juvenile male geladas such that male offspring sired by low ranking moms exhibit higher age-specific fecal androgen metabolite levels. We also found that the number of male peers and unit size drive individual variation in age of dispersal for geladas in our study population. Males with more peers and in larger social units dispersed earlier than males without peers and in smaller units. Our results indicate that maternal effects (via maternal rank at birth) might program male offspring development in non-human primates. Specifically our study supports the idea that in multileveled social systems, social context and availability of suitable partners may be important factors that drive dispersal behavior and male development. This study is now published in Hormones & Behavior.
Male reproductive strategies
This part of my dissertation focuses on dominant male geladas in order to assess factors that lead to variation in male reproductive success. This research asks questions such as: How do dominant leader males establish and form strong social bonds? And does social bonds with females allow males to reproduce longer? What alternate reproductive strategies do male geladas opt for?
Method validation
I am also interested in developing non-invasive tools to help monitor animals for long term field research. Current method validation projects include developing a laser photogrammetry method to measure body size in adult geladas, sequencing microsatellites using MiSeq to genotype geladas. Detailed protocol and validation results of our new enzymeimmunoassay to measure fecal androgen metabolite levels in geladas is now available online.