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Head

Ludwig Huber

Univ.-Prof. Dr.rer.nat. Ludwig Huber
T +43 1 25077-2680  
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I am Professor of the Natural Science Foundations of Animal Ethics and Human-Animal Interactions,  head of the Unit of Comparative Cognition, and currently also head of the Messerli Research Institute. My research has focused on animal cognition in a broad, comparative manner, including such diverse species as pigeons, marmosets, dogs, kea, tortoise, lizards, poison frogs and humans. 

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Deputy Centre Head

Zsofia Viranyi

Priv.-Doz. Zsofia Viranyi, PhD.
T +43 1 25077-2686  
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As a founder of the Clever Dog Lab and the Wolf Science Center, I have conducted most of my research on dogs and wolves to study the effects of domestication on dogs’ reasoning and social learning abilities, communication and cooperation with humans and conspecifics. Deeply interested in how human and non-human animals differ and compare to each other, I enjoy comparing canine cognition to children, primates and, most recently, to pigs.

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Faculty

Alice Isabel Marie Auersperg

Assoz.Prof. Priv.-Doz. Dr.rer.nat. Alice Isabel Marie Auersperg
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I am managing the Goffin Lab and Goffin research since its origins in 2011. My background is in biology and my interests include the evolution of play behaviour, innovation, physical cognition and tool use. While my main focus species are parrots, I also enjoy working comparatively with primates, human children and robots.  

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Stefanie Riemer

Ass.-Prof. Priv.-Doz. Stefanie Riemer, PhD.
T +43 1 25077-2698  
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I am a behavioural biologist and am especially interested in how dogs feel and think. My research interests include emotional expression and social communication in dogs, personality development, noise fears and veterinary fear in dogs as well as the phenomenon of so-called ‘ball junkies’ and possible parallels with behavioural addictions in humans.

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Raoul Schwing

Priv.-Doz. Raoul Schwing, PhD.
T +43 1 25077-2695  
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I am an animal behaviourist at heart interested in the interplay between cognitive abilities and ecological specialisation. During my studies I fell in love with the enigmatic kea parrot. Their specific behavioural profile allows for the investigation of complex cognitive skills such as cooperation and social learning, but also often overlooked phenomena such as the effect of play on sociality.

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PostDocs

Shany Dror

Shany Dror, PhD.
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I am passionate about understanding what goes on in an animal’s mind. In the past, I worked with a variety of species (elephants, fruit bats, pigs, bees, and more). During my PhD, I studied the evolutionary origin of language by examining the ability of dogs to learn object labels (known as the Genius Dog Challenge). Currently, my research focuses on the social cognitive abilities of dogs.

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Remco Folkertsma

Dr.rer.nat. Remco Folkertsma
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I am a biologist with a broad background in behavioral biology, ecology and evolution. During my PhD I developed an interest in statistics and bio-informatics, and now I am a statistician in the comparative cognition team. Here I support colleagues and students in experimental design and the analysis of quantitative data.  

Associated with Platform for Bioinformatics und Biostatistics

Megan Lambert

Megan Lambert, PhD.
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As an Elise Richter fellow, I am particularly interested in how kea (a notoriously curious and innovative parrot species) learn about, understand, and solve problems in their physical environment. My current research focuses on limits of their innovative tool using abilities, the causes and functions of their curiosity, and how they reason about unobservable physical properties such as weight.

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Lucrezia Lonardo

Lucrezia Lonardo, PhD.
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I have worked at the Clever Dog Lab since my Master's thesis project, investigating dogs' recognition of rotated objects and cognitive offloading abilities. My Phd project explored dogs' precursors to theory of mind, action understanding and empathy, making use of behavioural, eye-tracking and fMRI experiments. Currently my research focuses on Theory of Mind. I am extremely grateful to all the dogs and their caregivers who, through all these years, have graciously supported my research with their time!

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Mark Christopher O'Hara

Mag.rer.nat. Mark Christopher O'Hara, PhD.
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I studied Animal Cognition in Vienna and found myself more and more interested in the ecological factors promoting certain cognitive traits. I am head of the Goffin Lab Tanimbar since it was founded.My current research aims at a comprehensive understanding of the Goffin’s cockatoos astonishing tool abilities, as well as the environmental circumstances in which it emerged. Furthermore, I am engaged in finding ways to protect this species and it’s habitat. 

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Antonio Jose Osuna Mascaro

Dr. Antonio Jose Osuna Mascaro
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I am a biologist with a Ph.D. in paleontology and another Ph.D. in comparative cognition, studying the tooling abilities of Goffin's cockatoos (I did it under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Alice Auersperg). I love nature and science, and this is reflected in my passion for science communication. I'm working to explore the cognitive abilities of the fascinating Goffin's cockatoos.

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Andrea Sommese

Andrea Sommese, PhD.
T +43 1 25077-4912  
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I have worked primarily with dogs, but also with wolves, exploring topics that bridge the fields of ecology and behaviour. My area of expertise is dog-human communication, with a particular focus on language learning in dogs. 

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Christoph Völter

Dr.rer.nat. Christoph Völter
T +43 1 25077-2670  
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I am interested in the evolutionary origins of flexible behaviour and abstract thought. Therefore, I study how nonhuman animals, particularly great apes and dogs, cope with new challenges using inferential reasoning or intention reading abilities. In ongoing projects, I use eye tracking and 3D body tracking technology to examine how dogs perceive and process their social and physical environment. 

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PhD candidates

Jennifer Anne Colbourne

Jennifer Anne Colbourne, MA.
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I am studying the development of tool use in both Goffin’s cockatoos and young children, working within the embodied cognition framework of tooling theory. My broader interests include how innovative tool use emerges in a species’ evolutionary history, and how innovative species adapt to their environments, particularly in urban settings.

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Karoline Gerwisch

BEd Karoline Gerwisch, MA. MSc.
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I am a PhD candidate working on the FWF funded project “Overimitation in dogs: Ontogenetic and phylogenetic influences” (supervisors: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ludwig Huber, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Stefanie Höhl, Priv.-Doz. Zsofia Viranyi, PhD). I investigate dogs’ tendency to imitate causally irrelevant, nonfunctional behaviour demonstrated by humans based on different relationship quality between dog and handler.

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Cornelia Habl

Mag.rer.nat. Cornelia Habl, MSc.
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I am a PhD student working on the FWF funded project “Kea curiosity: Context, causes and consequences” (supervisors: Megan Lambert, PhD, Dr. Rachael Shaw, Univ.-Prof. Dr.rer.nat. Ludwig Huber). My main focus is to investigate the contexts in which curiosity related behaviours occur, as well as costs and limitations of neophilia. My main scientific interests are the causes of diverging cognitive skills in different bird species, particularly aspects of comparative and physical cognition.

 

Katherine Harrington

MS Katherine Harrington
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I lead the Johnny Rook Project, a long-term research program for striated caracara, a rare, understudied bird in the Falkland Islands. In addition to studying their basic needs, I have joined forces with Dr. Megan Lambert’s FWF funded project to better understand how their curious nature might help them thrive in changing environmental conditions. 

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Poppy Lambert

Poppy Lambert, MSc.
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I’m a 3rd year PhD student in the Goffin Lab. I’m working with our Goffin’s cockatoos, and young children, to find out more about what influences the ability to innovate solutions to tool-use problems. I am also interested in the evolution of cognitive abilities relating to the use of weight-based information. 

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Louise Eleanor Mackie

Louise Eleanor Mackie, MSc. BSc.
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I am a PhD student under the supervision of Ludwig Huber, working in the Clever Dog Lab. My area of interest lies in the social cognition of dogs, particularly, why and how they may use imitation (copying the actions of others) behaviour to explore their physical or social environment. 

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Theresa Rößler

Theresa Rößler, PhD.
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I am a PhD Student at the Goffin Lab and I am interested in the innovative abilities of the Goffin's cockatoo. Together with Berenika Mioduszewska I launched a new paradigm, the innovation arena to systematically compare innovation rates in wild and captive cockatoos. At the moment I am additionally interested in associative tool use and Goffin Ecology. 

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Gabriella Elena Smith

Gabriella Elena Smith, MA.
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I am excited to join Dr. Megan Lambert’s FWF funded project as a PhD student studying the contexts, causes, and consequences of curiosity in kea parrots. I am interested in all kinds of animal cognition, but my main focus generally resides in expressions of physical cognition and motivation.

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Ana Tomasic

Mag. Ana Tomasic
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I am a PhD student working on the project "Intention or behaviour readers? How dogs understand human intentional actions and ostensive signals (supervisors:  Dr. Völter and  Prof. Dr. Bohn). My research will explore how flexibly dogs interpret human actions and signals, and how this affects their later interactions with humans.

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Ariane Veit

Ariane Veit, MSc.
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Since 2016, I investigate the cognitive abilities of domestic pigs (former Clever Pig Lab). To explore the true potential of these animals I consider living conditions as natural as possible to be of particular importance. Within a DOC project financed by the ÖAW, I currently investigate various factors influencing social learning, such as personality, social status, and cognitive abilities.

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Jeroen Stephan Zewald

Jeroen Stephan Zewald, MSc.
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I am a PhD-candidate at the Messerli research institute. I am working with tool-using Goffin cockatoos at the Goffin lab, where I research how object combinations and object play can help in creating new ways to use and/or manufacture new tools in novel situations.

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Guest researchers

PostDoc

Melissa Jane Johnston, PhD.
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PhD candidate

Eva Shair Ali
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Administration & technical support

Karin Bayer

Mag.rer.nat. Karin Bayer
T +43 1 25077-2690  
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I am lab manager at the Clever Dog Lab. After my studies in biology (with a focus on zoology), I completed training as a dog behaviour consultant. It is a great pleasure to welcome so many committed dog owners to the Clever Dog Lab for various studies. 

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Jennifer Bentlage

Jennifer Bentlage, MSc.
T +43 1 25077-2681  
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I am the head of the institut's administration with its diverse tasks. In addition, I am the unit's assistant and central contact person for administrative matters. My degree in behavioural, neuroscience and cognitive biology enables me to master the interface between science and administration.

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Karoline Eadie

Karoline Eadie, MA.
E-Mail

I am unfortunately unavailable for the time being. Any emails addressed to me will be automatically be forwarded to kognition.sekretariat@vetmeduni.ac.at.

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Markus Fitzka

Ing. Markus Fitzka
T +43 1 25077-2671  
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As a technician, I keep all the labs in good shape. I particularly enjoy tinkering and building experiments for all the animals. In my private life I like to dive and enjoy the underwater world.

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Peter Füreder

Peter Füreder
T +43 1 25077-2697  
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I am responsible for the construction and operation of the IT infrastructure and care for the smooth operation of technical equipment for research.

Peter Helf

Peter Helf, BSc. MSc.
E-Mail

The focus of my work is the design and development of new software systems. These systems are used to gather and store data in various research projects. The developed applications range from smartphone and tablet apps to websites and APIs. The architecture of these systems must be flexible to allow the implementation of new and changing requirements.

Associated with Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna

 

Hayyel Yun

Hayyel Yun
T +43 1 25077-2691  
E-Mail

Together with Jennifer Bentlage, I support the Comparative Cognition at the Messerli Research Institute in administrative tasks. It means a lot to me that our colleagues, students and visitors feel welcome at our institute and I shall be happy to answer any questions or to clarify some uncertainties. Because of my great enthusiasm for dogs, I have completed the TSQ- Dog Trainer examination in 2021. Currently I am in further education as an Assistance Dog Trainer.


Lab assistants

Joel Colbourne
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Tobias Geiler

Tobias Geiler
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Laura Laussegger

Laura Laussegger
E-Mail

I am an animal welfare qualified dog trainer and work in the Clever Dog Lab. There I have the beautiful and exciting task of training pet dogs. In the course of the project "Convergent evolution of the social brain? A comparative dog-human fMRI research approach (EVOSOCBRAIN)", I teach the dogs everything they need to know in order to participate in the eye-tracker and neuroimaging studies.

Berenika Mioduszewska

Berenika Mioduszewska, MSc.
E-Mail

Coming from a psychological background, I have always been fascinated by how other sentient beings think. My current research aims to investigate cognition together with the ecological conditions in which it develops. 

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Marion Umek

Marion Umek
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I am an animal welfare qualified dog trainer and work in the Clever Dog Lab. I train dogs there so that they can complete tests in the MRI scanner and then also in the eye tracker.

 

Florian Vogel, BA.
T +43 1 25077-2696  
E-Mail

I am working at Haidlhof as a zoo-skilled animal keeper and assumed responsibility as head of animal care in 2013. According to this and to my tasks as an apprentice trainer I work as a practicum instructor and teacher at the Tierpfleger Schule at the Vetmeduni.

 

Heidelinde Wanas

Heidelinde Wanas, MAS
E-Mail

After working in the construction industry for nearly 20 years, I became Certified Animal Trainer and Certified Animal Masseur and Animal Movement Coach. Since then I have been working as an animal trainer with the main focus on training dogs and cashmere goats. Since May 2019 I am the Animal Manager of the Goffin Lab Goldegg. 

 

Alumni

Elisabeth Suwandschieff (2024)

Antonio José Osuna Mascaró (2023)

Sabrina Karl, PhD (2022)

Amelia Wein-Schwing, PhD (2020) 

Durga Chapagain, PhD (2019)

Giulia Cimarelli, PhD (2018)

Désirée Brucks, PhD (2017)

Jennifer Essler, PhD (2017)

Anjuli Barber, PhD (2017)

Rachel Dale, PhD (2017)

Mylène Quervel-Chaumette, PhD (2016)

Lisa Wallis, PhD (2016)

Mark O'Hara, PhD (2016)

Stefanie Riemer, PhD (2014)

Lisa Horn, PhD (2012)