Curriculum vitae
Matthew Hunter Babb M.A. Ph.D. Candidate | Atlanta, GA |
EDUCATION | |
2020 – Present | Ph.D. Student in Psychology – Cognitive Sciences Georgia State University ● Advisor: Dr. Sarah Brosnan |
2016 – 2020 | B.S. in Biology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ● Minors in Neuroscience and Chemistry ● Graduated with Honors and Highest Distinction
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RESEARCH INTERESTS |
My research explores how animals make social and ecological decisions, with particular emphasis on animal cooperation and reciprocity. By integrating findings across a range of taxa, the goals of my research are to
understand how animal behavior can inform conservation strategies, welfare
initiatives, and enhance public understanding of science.
FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS | |
2024 – 2026 | Rumbaugh Fellowship |
2024 | Dean’s Graduate Research Grant |
2022 | NSF Graduate Research Fellowship – Honorable Mention |
2020 – 2024 | 2CI University Doctoral Fellowship |
AWARDS | |
2025 | 3-Minute Thesis –Voter’s Choice for Best Presentation |
2025 | 3-Minute Thesis – Second Place Judge’s Award |
2024 | American Society of Primatologists – First Place Oral Presentation |
2020 | Carolina Research Scholar |
2019 | Tom and Elizabeth Long Research Award |
PUBLICATIONS Click icons to access. Articles under review available upon request. | |
Under Review | Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. (in review). Social closeness affects prosocial behavior in capuchin monkey groups. Animal Behaviour. |
Under Review | Babb, M. H., Flammer, K.L., Spilker, C., Ford, K., Sadtler, E., D’Ambra, E., & Brosnan, S.F. (in review). Risk sensitivity in female beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Marine Mammal Science. |
2024 | Martinez, M., Babb, M. H., Range, F., & Brosnan, S.F. (2024). The ‘joint’ Simon task in capuchins: Playing together, but yet alone. Scientific Reports 14, 5937. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55885-x |
2024 | Babb, M. H., Prétôt, L., Bshary, R., & Brosnan, S.F. (2024). Capuchin monkeys’ ability to choose beneficial options is inhibited by added complexity. Animal Behaviour 210, 303-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.01.007 |
2019 | Davis, A. L., Babb, M. H., Lowe, M. C., Yeh, A. T., Lee, B. T., & Martin, C. H. (2019). Testing Darwin’s hypothesis about the wonderful venus flytrap: marginal spikes form a “horrid prison” for moderate-sized insect prey. The American Naturalist, 193(2), 309-317. |
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PUBLICATIONS IN PREPARATION | |
| Babb, M.H., Lazareva, O.F., & Brosnan, S.F. (in prep.). Female, but not male, capuchins demonstrate transitive inference and the symbolic distance effect in a sequencing task. Retrieve from osf.io/msa75 |
| Pope-Caldwell, S., & Babb, M.H., (in prep.). Flexible decision-making in capuchins, rhesus macaques, and children. Retrieve from osf.io/msa74 |
| Babb, M.H., Simmons, S.M.V., Heller, C.G., & Brosnan, S.F. (in prep.). Inequity aversion in a group foraging context. |
| Mayerhoff, S., Babb, M.H., & Brosnan, S.F. (in prep.). File, save, forget: Cognitive offloading in two non-human primate species. |
| Saldaña, J.M., Babb, M.H., Talbot, C.F., & Brosnan, S.F. (in prep.). Facial identification when features are masked in capuchin monkeys. |
| Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. (in prep.). The role of oxytocin in primate social behavior, a review of method and context. |
PRESENTATIONS | |
Invited Talks |
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2024 | Emory National Primate Center Field Station Babb, M.H. Group level testing in primates: An aim to increase social relevance |
PRESENTATIONS (CONT’D) | |
Presenter |
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2025 | Animal Behavior Society – Talk Babb, M. H. et al., Risk sensitivity in female beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). |
2024 | American Society of Primatologists – 1st place oral presentation Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. Social closeness drives prosocial behavior in capuchin groups |
2023 | International Primatological Society – Talk Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. Social closeness and dominance influence prosocial behavior in socially relevant contexts |
2023 | American Society of Primatologists – Talk Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. Added complexity inhibits tufted capuchin monkeys’ selection of ephemeral options in a dichotomous choice task |
2022 | Southeastern Evolution and Human Behavior Meeting – Talk Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. The effects of oxytocin on group-level prosocial behavior in tufted capuchin monkeys |
2020 | The Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology – Poster Babb, M.H., Goforth, K., & Lohmann, C.M.F. Spatial distributions and exhibit use of African lions (Panthera leo) and cougars (Puma concolor) between zoo and sanctuary |
2020 | World Sea Turtle Day – Talk Babb, M.H., Goforth, K., & Lohmann, K.J. Geomagnetic imprinting in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) |
Co-Author | |
2024 | American Society of Primatologists – Talk Heller, C.G, Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. A transverse patterning task in captive tufted capuchin monkeys |
2023 | American Society of Primatologists – Talk Mayerhoff, S.R., Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. File, Save, Forget: Cognitive offloading in non-human primates |
2023 | American Association of Biological Anthropologists – Poster Epstein, S., Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. Ecological advantages of color vision in capuchin monkeys under controlled conditions |
2022 | American Society of Primatologists – Talk Martinez, M., Babb, M.H. & Brosnan, S.F. Capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) do not show co-representation in a computer-based Joint Simon task |
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE | |||
2020 – Present | Language Research Center Research Fellow, CEBUS Lab Principle Investigator: Dr. Sarah Brosnan, GSU AAALAC certified facility | Atlanta, GA USA | |
2025 | Centro de Investigaciones Ecológicas Subtropicales Field Researcher Director: Dr. Clara Scarry Department of Biological Anthropology, Sacramento State University | Iguazú Argentina | |
2023 | Capuchinos de Taboga Field Researcher Directors: Dr. Marcela Benítez, Dr. Thore Bergman, and Dr. Jacinta Beehner Department of Anthropology, Emory University | Taboga forest Costa Rica | |
2022 – 2025 | Georgia Aquarium Visiting Researcher IACUC Protocol Number: GAI-22-07 | Atlanta, GA USA | |
2020 | Bald Head Island Conservancy Field Research Assistant Principle Investigator: Dr. Kenneth Lohmann, UNC | Bald Head Island, NC USA
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2019 – 2020 | North Carolina Zoo Visiting Researcher AZA-accredited institution | Asheboro, NC USA | |
2019 – 2020 | Carolina Tiger Rescue Visiting Researcher GFAS certified sanctuary | Pittsboro, NC USA | |
2018 – 2020 | Lohmann Sea Turtle Geomagnetic Sensing Lab Research Assistant – Sea Turtle Sensory Systems and Physiology Principle Investigator: Dr. Kenneth Lohmann, UNC | Chapel Hill, NC USA | |
2017 – 2018 | Evolution of Novelty Lab Undergraduate Research Assistant Principle Investigator: Dr. Chris Martin, UC: Berkeley | Chapel Hill, NC USA | |
TEACHING AND MENTORING | |
Instructor | |
2025 | PSYC 4560 – Animal Behavior 55 students, Virtual |
2025 | PSYC 3140 – Psychopathology and Abnormal Psychology 75 students, Face-to-Face |
TEACHING AND MENTORING (CONT’D) | |
2023 – 2024 | Coding Cognitive Tasks for Non-human Primates in Python |
Guest Lectures | |
2025 | PSYC 3140– Psychopathology and Abnormal Psychology “Eating Disorders” |
2024 | PSYC 3530– Advanced Research Methods and Statistics “Comparing Means: The t-test” |
2022 | PSYC 4560 – Animal Behavior “Animals on the Move: Animal Migration, Navigation, and Dispersal” |
2021 | PSYC 4100 – Cognitive Psychology “How Human Are They? Methods and Principles of Comparative Cognition” |
Teaching Assistant | |
2023, 2024 | PSYC 3530 – Advanced Research Methods and Statistics |
Mentored Students | |
2024 – 2025 | Jack Jensen, Philosophy Masters Student, Georgia State University |
2024 – 2025 | Farez Parmar, Psychology Undergraduate, Georgia State University |
2023 – 2024 | Nutifafa Ayeke, Psychology Undergraduate, Georgia State University |
2021 – 2023 | Heaven Varner, Neuroscience Undergraduate, Georgia State University |
2021 – 2022 | Sedona Epstein, Anthropology Undergraduate, Emory University |
2021 – 2022 | CJ Andrews, Neuroscience Undergraduate, Georgia Tech |
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SERVICE |
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2025 – Present |
Georgia Aquarium Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) External Scientist |
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2023 – Present |
Georgia Aquarium Animal Welfare Committee External Scientist |
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2023 – Present |
Graduate Association of Psychology Students Executive Member |
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2018 – 2020 |
UNC Chapel Hill Athletic Department Mascot Coordinator |
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Reviewing |
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American Journal of Primatology Behaviour |
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OUTREACH |
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2024 – Present |
Volunteer
Science Correspondent –
Mentoring middle school
students by sharing insights into scientific careers |
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2023 – Present |
R.O.A.C.H.
Lab – Dekalb County Magnet School Presenting Researcher –
Design and lead interactive
classroom presentations using live cockroaches to teach elementary students
about animal behavior research |
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2023 |
Diving
Deep with Stephen Mburu – Podcast Interview Episode
1 |
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2021 – Present |
Volunteer
Presenter |
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2017 – 2020 |
Wildlife
Information and Science Education Animal
Handler and Presenter |