My research focuses on social relationships and communication in both non-human primates and humans. Humans are social animals and as such, the nature of people’s social networks is one of the single most important determinants of their life satisfaction and wellbeing. I use a multidisciplinary approach to understand the importance of social relationships, carrying out research on ranging from gestural communication in wild chimpanzees and bonobos, to how Instagram affects wellbeing 

 In terms of educational background, I studied Human Sciences at the University of Oxford before going on to complete an MSc in Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Liverpool. For my PhD I moved to the University of Sussex, where I examined social referencing and visual perspective taking in Barbary macaques and chimpanzees. My postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford focused on the structure and dynamics of social networks in humans. I conducted an 18-month longitudinal study investigating how students’ social networks change during the transition from school to University, using a combination of questionnaire and mobile phone bills to track communication and changes in social relationships over time. 

I am currently a Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Associate Professor) in Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, UK