We are facing crises of loneliness, polarization, and conflict. Why? 

Part of the problem is that we don't fully understand the nature and importance of the social bonds that hold communities together. 

I study our closest ape relatives to understand social bonds and the emotions that animate them. I have studied chimpanzees in Uganda since 2012, including a rare, violent conflict between the chimpanzees. I am expanding my research now to mountain gorillas and humans. 

I draw from social neuroscience, psychology, and biology, and I use a range of tools, including network analysis, machine learning, and endocrinology to understand how social bonds are formed, maintained, and sometimes fall apart.