Debottam Bhattacharjee

Ph.D. I Biological Sciences

I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong. I am investigating the impact of Water Buffalo on the biodiversity of Hong Kong's Lantau island, primarily using behavioural and ecological parameters, within the team of Dr Alan McElligott, Dr Kate Flay, and Dr Hannah Mumby (The University of Hong Kong). 

Click here for more details about the current project.

I completed my PhD (2014-2020) in Biological Sciences from the Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER-K).  I worked under the supervision of Dr Anindita Bhadra. My doctoral research focused on the behavioural adaptations of Indian free-ranging dogs (Canis familiaris) in (semi-)urban environments. I was interested in understanding the evolution of dog-human relationships by examining various factors such as interspecific (non-verbal and gestural) communication, interactions, and perceptions. Please visit the Area of Research and Publications for details.

After finishing my PhD, I moved to Utrecht University, the Netherlands with a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship (2020-2023). I joined the lab of Dr Jorg Massen as a postdoctoral researcher. My research questions were broad, and I used an integrative approach of cognition and behaviour while addressing them. My specific research question was, "Why do individuals cooperate?" I studied cooperation in six different macaque species focusing on various proximate mechanisms, e.g. personality, prosociality, social tolerance, and dominance-rank relationships. Such an interdisciplinary and comparative approach helped me understand the evolution of cooperation in animal societies. 

Please visit the research themes and publication pages for details.

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