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I am a behavioral
endocrinologist whose work focuses on the endocrine correlates and
fitness consequences of variation in social behavior in wild primates.
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 primate social behavior across
individuals and groups in natural populations. Currently, I am
investigating the endocrine correlates and fitness consequences of
variation in the mother-offspring relationship in wild primates. I am
also investigating the development of sex differences in behavior and in
the adaptive significance of affiliative bonds and dominance status in
wild primates. In my research, I combine non-invasive methods of
behavioral data collection with fecal hormone extraction from
habituated,
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Office Department of Anthropology 800 N. State College Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92834 Phone (657) 278-7144 Fax (657) 278-5001 E-mail nganguyen@fullerton.edu
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known
individuals. Much of my past and present research focuses on wild
populations of monkeys in East Africa, including in Kenya, Rwanda and
Ethiopia. By studying primates 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
nonhuman primates.