International Recognition for Katie Slocombe’s Research

Posted on 13 June 2014

Dr Slocombe receives a 2014 Distinguished Scientific Award from the American Psychological Association.

Dr Katie Slocombe’s research has been recognized with an highly prestigious international award from the American Psychological Association. The APA is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, and an internationally important body which also publishes some of the world’s most influential psychological research. Katie’s Award is for a Distinguished Early Career Scientific Contribution to Psychology, and is a fantastic achievement.

The APA award citation reads:

“For outstanding contributions to understanding the communication and cognition of our closest living animal relatives, the chimpanzees. Katie E. Slocombe’s boundless energy, keen mind and scholarly courage have advanced our understanding of chimpanzees, not only as a species but also as a living link to our common ancestor. Producing progress on chimpanzee vocal communication after decades of stagnation, she has introduced field experiments as a viable scientific method for studying the great apes. Her work has removed the chimpanzees from the confines of the psychological laboratory and given them back their natural habitat, a place where further scientific progress is possible.”