Debottam Bhattacharjee

Ph.D. I Biological Sciences

I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher (EU Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellow) at the Animal Behviour & Cognition Group, Utrecht University, the Netherlands under the supervision of Dr. Jorg J.M. Massen.

My specific yet broad research question is "Why individuals cooperate?" I am studying cooperation in different macaque species focusing on various proximate mechanisms, e.g. personality, prosociality, and dominance-rank relationships. Such an interdisciplinary (behaviour and cognition) and comparative approach will largely help us understand the evolution of cooperation in animal societies.

I completed my PhD in Biological Sciences from the Department of Biological Sciences , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER-K). I had worked under the supervision of Dr Anindita Bhadra, Associate Professor.

My doctoral research focused on the behavioural adaptations of Indian free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in urban environments. I was interested in understanding the evolution of dog-human relationship by exploring various factors such as interspecific non-verbal communication, interactions, and perceptions, etc.

My research questions were broad, and I used an integrative approach of cognition and behaviour while addressing them. Please visit the research themes and publication pages for more details.

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Behavioural experiments can teach you a lot!

Note: All experiments had ethical approval from respective institutes. None of the subjects were harmed during the studies. We prioritized animal welfare and all the subjects participated voluntarily.