Behavioral Ecology

Lucia Bruscagnin

Research interests
I am interested in how animals acquire and use social and ecological information in their natural environments, with a particular focus on fieldwork and data collection in wild primates. In my PhD, I focus on curiosity and information-seeking behavior, operationalized through selective attention to relevant events. I am especially interested in how individuals allocate attention, how this varies with age, sex, social rank, and social context, and how information gathered through attention guides decision-making and may ultimately affect fitness.

Academic career

  • August 2026 – present:
    PhD, Behavior and Cognition (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen and the German Primate Center)
    Thesis topic: Selective Attention and Information Acquisition in Wild Assamese Macaques
  • May 2025 – October 2025:
    Field Assistant & Collaborator – Orangutan Behavior and Cognition | SUAQ Project, Indonesia
  • February - December 2024:
    Internship and scientific collaboration| Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz
    MSc. thesis: Neophobia and Tool Use in Island-living Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus capucinus imitator): Do tool-using individuals exhibit lower neophobia levels than non-tool-using counterparts?
    Auxiliary scientist (Hiwi): Video scoring of camera trap footage in BORIS, focusing on tool use behavior in capuchin monkeys| Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • April – December 2024:
    Research Assistant and Scientific Collaborator| CoBreeD Project (Cooperative Breeding Database)

    • Publications and Presentations