A conversation with 2024 Talairach Lecture presenter Zarin Machanda

Dr. Zarin Machanda is an assistant professor in the Anthropology department at Tufts University, with a secondary appointment in the department of Biology. Dr. Machanda’s research centers around studying populations of wild chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda. She is the Director of Long-Term Research for the Kibale Chimpanzee Project, where she collects a broad range of data—from behavioral observations to hormone samples—that she uses to answer questions about the social dynamics of chimpanzee populations. She focuses on sex differences in social roles and in leadership, as well as the evolution of male–female and male–male cooperation. Additionally, she is dedicated to conservation and education efforts through the Kasiisi Project, a community development organization that works with around 9000 school children living around Kibale National Park, to preserve the population of chimpanzees which are now at risk of extinction.

Dr. Machanda’s love for animals began in childhood, when her father introduced her to the National Geographic magazines. After coming across one of the magazine’s issues dedicated to the work of NASA sending monkeys into space, her childhood dream was to become “an astronaut veterinarian.” Instead, she followed a path into research and primatology: after completing a BSc in Biology and Anthropology at McGill University, she went on to complete a MA in Anthropology and a PhD in Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.

In this interview, Dr. Machanda shared aspects of her field work and some long-term goals of her research. Chimpanzees live up to 50 years in the wild, so she hopes that her work is going to answer increasingly complex questions, such as how aging manifests in the chimpanzee brain, how this may inform research on human aging, and how certain behaviors relate to cognitive abilities. Finally, she also shared insight into the importance of work-life balance and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle while remaining passionate about one’s research.

At OHBM 2024, in Seoul, Korea, Dr. Machanda will present the Talairach Lecture, where she will discuss data on the distinct social roles and leadership behaviors of male and female chimpanzees, as well as how these norms are communicated and maintained within the groups.

Interviewers:
- Elisa Guma
- Lavinia Uscatescu