Overview
Research in the Alberts Lab investigates the evolution of social behavior, particularly in mammals, with a specific focus on the social behavior, demography, life history, and behavioral endocrinology of wild primates. Our main study system is the baboon population in Amboseli, Kenya, one of the longest-running studies of wild primates in the world, ongoing since 1971.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Robert F. Durden Distinguished Professor of Biology
·
2015 - Present
Biology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Biology
·
2009 - Present
Biology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Dean of Natural Sciences
·
2023 - Present
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology
·
2009 - Present
Evolutionary Anthropology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor in the Division of Marine Science and Conservation
·
2020 - Present
Marine Science and Conservation,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
·
2009 - Present
Duke Institute for Brain Sciences,
University Institutes and Centers
Faculty Research Scholar of DuPRI's Population Research Center
·
2010 - Present
Duke Population Research Center,
Duke Population Research Institute
Faculty Research Scholar of DuPRI's Center for Population Health & Aging
·
2011 - Present
Center for Population Health & Aging,
Duke Population Research Institute
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society
·
2017 - Present
Duke Science & Society,
University Initiatives & Academic Support Units
Bass Fellow
·
2012 - Present
Biology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
Social and environmental predictors of gut microbiome age in wild baboons
Preprint · March 10, 2025 Full text CiteSocial and environmental predictors of gut microbiome age in wild baboons
Preprint · March 10, 2025 Full text CiteEarly-life paternal relationships predict adult female survival in wild baboons.
Preprint · January 23, 2025 Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Developing insertable cardiac monitors to assess social and environmental effects on the autonomic stress response in a nonhuman primate model of aging
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Notre Dame · 2022 - 2027Gene regulation and social relationships across the life course in a nonhuman primate model
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2026A life course perspective on gut microbiome aging and health in a non-human primate model
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Notre Dame · 2021 - 2026View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
The University of Chicago ·
1992
Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles ·
1987
M.A.
Reed College ·
1983
B.A.