About me
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I am an Associate Professor at the University of Stirling (UK). As a researcher, I am interested in comparative cognition and the evolution of cognitive processes. I study different aspects of cognition (e.g., memory, reasoning, understanding of time) that can inform us about the evolution of cognition in both vertebrates (children, great apes, corvids) and invertebrates (bees).
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I am a comparative psychologist working on the evolution and development of cognition. For more than 10 years now, my work has focused on investigating whether episodic memory and future thinking are (or not) uniquely human. I lead the Comparative Cognition Laboratory at the University of Stirling where my team and I study cognition in vertebrates (e.g., children, great apes) and invertebrates (e.g., insects), with specific focus on memory and thought about the future. I have developed new methodologies to test cognition in humans and animals and I have also adapted methodologies previously used with primates to test cognition in bumblebees.
Since my doctoral research, I have worked extensively to build a strong international and interdisciplinary research profile, spanning research activities across 5 different countries (Germany, Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom and Sweeden) and across disciplines—from Philosophy to Environmental Sciences. Since the start of my career, I have been actively engaged with public engagement activities (e.g., public talks). My work has also had worldwide media coverage (radio and internet, e.g., Science Daily, BBC).