Stacey Tecot

I'm interested in the behavioral and physiological strategies that are used to cope with environmental change, and allow individuals to survive, grow, and reproduce. I prioritize actively blending research with conservation and capacity building. My current focus is on the evolution and mechanisms of cooperation, especially cooperative infant care and bonding between individuals and species. I study a range of species, including lemurs, capuchins, humans, and dogs. My fieldwork takes place in Madagascar, where I co-direct the Ranomafana Red-Bellied Lemur Project (RRBLP) with Dr. Rachel Jacobs. The goal of the RRBLP is to establish a long-term demographic dataset to track individual reproductive success and population growth/decline over time. This work is done in part with computer-assisted facial recognition technology. At the University of Arizona, I direct LEEP (Laboratory for the Evolutionary Endocrinology of Primates). We develop new assays to measure noninvasively collected samples, train researchers to analyze their samples, and conduct our own hormonal assays. In Tucson, I'm working with the Colleges of Medicine and Nursing to study the effects of early life adversity and opioid use disorder on mother-infant bonding and hormones including oxytocin. I also devote my time to learning and implementing strategies to support students on campus and in the field.