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NGA NGUYEN, Ph.D., Director, Wildlife Endocrinology Laboratory, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biology Research Interests (Key Words: Behavioral Endocrinology, Animal Behavior, Behavioral Ecology)
My research interests lie in the intersections between animal behavior, ecology and physiology. My research uses a multidisciplinary approach that combines the methods of behavioral ecology and endocrinology to better understand the sources and consequences of variability in animal social behavior across individuals and groups in natural populations. Specifically, I am interested in the proximate sources and fitness consequences of variation in the mother-offspring relationship in wild primates. I am also interested in the development of sex differences in social behavior and in the adaptive significance of dominance status. In my research, I combine non-invasive methods of behavioral data collection with fecal hormone extraction from habituated, known individuals. Much of my past and present research focuses on wild populations of monkeys in East Africa, including Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. By studying animals in natural settings, I can monitor the interactions between hormones and behavior within the selective environment in which these interactions evolved. In addition, non-invasive hormonal sampling allows me to both assess potential determinants of behavior and to measure potential physiological consequences of behavior without disruptions to animals’ daily lives. My research aims to shed light on and provide fresh insights into the physiological processes that underlie social behavior in humans and other animals. For my Ph.D. (in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University), I studied the endocrine correlates and fitness consequences of variation in mothering behavior in the wild yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) population in Amboseli, Kenya. Currently, I am investigating the behavioral endocrinology, ecology and conservation biology of the rare and enigmatic gelada monkey (Theropithecus gelada) at Guassa, Ethiopia. Guassa is an unusually pristine alpine grassland in north-central Ethiopia that has been conserved by one of the few surviving ancient indigenous conservation initiatives on the African continent. Finally, my research at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo focuses on the endocrine correlates of mothering behavior in captive African elephants and on the application of endocrine techniques to assist in the reproduction of rare and endangered animals in captivity. Contact Information
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http://www.case.edu/artsci/biol/ |
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