Charles L Nunn, Gosnell Family Professor in Global Health and Research Professor of Global Health

My research addresses a range of questions in primate evolutionary ecology, with major research areas involving infectious disease, primate behavior, the evolution of sleep, and cultural trait dynamics. These research foci are rooted in a comparative perspective that examines variation across species on an evolutionary tree. I am especially passionate about my research on infectious disease; this area plays center stage in my research and teaching, and in my expanding field research. In addition to addressing questions of basic science, I apply ecological and evolutionary perspectives to address practical questions in the conservation of biodiversity and human health.

Contact Info:

Office Location:	106 Biological Sciences Building
Office Phone:	(919) 660-7281
Email Address:
Web Pages:	http://people.nunn-lab.org/charlie/ https://sites.duke.edu/thenunnlab/

Teaching (Spring 2021):

• EVANTH 285.01, HUMAN HEALTH EVOL PERSPECTIVE Synopsis

  French Sci 2231, WF 10:15 AM-11:30 AM

• EVANTH 285.02, HUMAN HEALTH EVOL PERSPECTIVE Synopsis

  Online ON, WF 10:15 AM-11:30 AM

• EVANTH 701S.01, CONCEPTS IN EVANTH - A Synopsis

  Online ON, W 01:45 PM-04:15 PM

Education:

Ph.D.	Duke University	1999
Post-Baccalaureate	University of Washington	1992
A.B.	Dartmouth College	1991

Specialties:

Behavioral Ecology and Physiology
Primate Ecology
Primate Biology

Keywords:

Allometry • Amygdala • Analysis of Variance • Animals • Artifacts • Behavioral Research • Biological Evolution • Biometry • Body Constitution • Brain • Brain Mapping • Classification • Cognition • Communication • Comparative Study • Computer Simulation • Cooperation • Data Collection • Diet • Energy Metabolism • Female • Food Chain • Hippocampus • Homing Behavior • Hominidae • Host-Parasite Interactions • Lemur • Male • Mammals • Maternal Age • Maternal Behavior • Memory • Models, Biological • Neocortex • Organ Size • Parasitism • Phylogeny • Predatory Behavior • Primates • Psychology, Comparative • Regression Analysis • Reproducibility of Results • Sexual selection • Sleep • Sleep, REM • Social Behavior • Software • Space Perception • Species Specificity • Statistics as Topic • Territoriality • Time Perception • Vocalization, Animal

Curriculum Vitae  Bio

Current Ph.D. Students   (Former Students)

• Chase Nunez  
• Caroline Rusk Amoro  
• Randi Griffin  
• India A Schneider-Crease  
• Collin McCabe  

Postdocs Mentored

• Debapriyo Chakraborty (October 15, 2015 - present)  
• David Samson (July, 2014 - present)  

Recent Publications   (More Publications)   (search)

1. Mckinnon, L; Samson, DR; Nunn, CL; Rowlands, A; Salvante, KG; Nepomnaschy, PA, Is Sleep Disturbance in Menopause Explained by Evolutionary Mismatch? Evidence from Three Cohorts of Guatemalan Maya, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 174 (March, 2021), pp. 69-69
2. Solis, A; Nunn, CL, One health disparities and COVID-19., Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, vol. 9 no. 1 (January, 2021), pp. 70-77 [doi]  [abs]
3. Herrera, JP; Wickenkamp, NR; Turpin, M; Baudino, F; Tortosa, P; Goodman, SM; Soarimalala, V; Ranaivoson, TN; Nunn, CL, Effects of land use, habitat characteristics, and small mammal community composition on Leptospira prevalence in northeast Madagascar., Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases, vol. 14 no. 12 (December, 2020), pp. e0008946 [doi]  [abs]
4. Teitelbaum, CS; Amoroso, CR; Huang, S; Davies, TJ; Rushmore, J; Drake, JM; Stephens, PR; Byers, JE; Majewska, AA; Nunn, CL, A comparison of diversity estimators applied to a database of host–parasite associations, Ecography, vol. 43 no. 9 (September, 2020), pp. 1316-1328 [doi]  [abs]
5. Amoroso, CR; Kappeler, PM; Fichtel, C; Nunn, CL, Temporal patterns of waterhole use as a predator avoidance strategy, Journal of Mammalogy, vol. 101 no. 2 (May, 2020), pp. 574-581, Oxford University Press (OUP) [doi]  [abs]