research focus
My research explores how death, loss, and social disruption shape social bonds, behavior, and physiology in mammals using wild chimpanzees at Gombe National Park, Tanzania as a long-term natural study system to understand the behavioral, physiological, and geospatial consequences of bond loss. Explore my work here.
from the field
To learn more about life at Gombe head over to instagram. In the meanwhile, here are some highlights.
publications
in press
Drivers of range shifts in female wild eastern chimpanzees (P. t. schweinfurthii) following female death events. Animal Behaviour
McClain A.R., Foerster S., Feldblum, J. F., Walker K. S., Mjungu, D. C., Pusey A. E., & Murray C. M.
Nelson, R.S., McClain A.R., Bosha R., & Murray C. M.
in prep
Evidence of social compensation following the death of social partners in wild chimpanzees.
Validating field methods for quantification of urinary cortisol in wild chimpanzees.
Spatiotemporal Variation in Water Availability and Quality Across Gombe National Park, Tanzania in relation to Female Chimpanzee (P. troglodytes) Space Use.
presentations
Drivers of range shifts in female wild eastern chimpanzees (P. t. schweinfurthii)
Generating an agent-based modelling framework to assess social transmission of behavior across a typified chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) network.
Biological Validation of. a Fecal Immunoglobulin A (fIGA) Immunoassay for Zoo-Living Black Howler Monkeys (Alouatta caraya).
American Society of Primatologists Annual Meeting - Chicago, IL 2025 Outstanding Podium Talk Winner
American Society of Primatologists Annual Meeting - Reno, NV 2023
Midwest Primate Interest Group Annual Meeting - Ann Arbor, MI 2022
ASP Annual Meeting - Chicago, IL 2025
ASP Annual Meeting - Reno, NV 2023
MPIG Annual Meeting - Ann Arbor, MI 2022
grants and awards
I have received competitive funding and generous support for my research from the listed organization.
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The Biological Anthropology Program seeks to advance scientific knowledge about the processes that have shaped biological diversity in living and fossil humans and their primate relatives through support of basic research on human and primate evolution, biological variation, and interactions between biology, behavior and culture. The program supports a portfolio of research that demonstrates engagement with biological anthropological and evolutionary theory; includes diverse and interdisciplinary methods in field, laboratory and computational settings; encompasses multiple levels of analysis (e.g., molecular, organismal, population, ecosystem) and time scales from the short-term to evolutionary; and considers the ethical implications and societal impacts of the research. The program also supports a wide range of broader impact activities as part of research grants, including research outcomes with inherent benefit to society, efforts to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training, research and outreach activities and other evidence-based activities developed within the context of the mission, goals and resources of the organizations and people involved.
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Leakey Foundation Research Grants support both PhD dissertation research and post-PhD research across multiple disciplines related to human origins, evolution, and behavior. They prioritize funding for the exploratory phases of promising new research projects and innovative, multidisciplinary approaches that expand the boundaries of our current understanding.
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GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including STEM education. NSF GRFP was established to recruit and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions in STEM, including STEM education.
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Awards to graduate and upper-level undergraduate students for support of field or laboratory work in any area of mammalogy, or for the purchase of supplies and small items of equipment related to such research.
Received the Horner Award for Highest Ranked Proposal
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visuals
In my free time you will find me fiddling with hex codes and designing graphics for dc community groups and university programming. I’ve served as an internal design consultant for the gw department of anthropology since 2024 producing custom figures for publications and presentations. find select works below. If you want to keep up with my nonacademic art and design work you can find me over at the Low Speed Spoon.
service and outreach
In addition to my research activities I am involved in science service, communication and outreach. I have reviewed papers for American Journal of Biological Anthropology, given talks at the Smithsonian Museum Natural History among other contributions. Explore what I’ve been up to here.