Dr. Brian Hare is associate professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and a member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, a division of the Duke Institute for Brain Science. Dr. Hare founded the new Duke Canine Cognition Center, which is dedicated to the study of dog psychology and understanding the flexibility and limitations of dog cognition. Dr. Hare is an expert in chimpanzee and bonobo behavior in African sanctuaries, and also founded the Hominoid Psychology Research Group, which compares the psychology of hominoids (human and non-human ape) and promotes the conservation and welfare of all apes (humans included). His research focuses on identifying which features of our social problem-solving abilities have evolved, since humans, bonobos, and chimpanzees shared a common ancestor. This, together with his research on dog cognition, also has broader implications for understanding why we make certain economic decisions to how we might be a more peaceful species. Featured in! documentaries and widely published, Dr. Hare's new book, THE GENIUS OF DOGS, written with his wife Vanessa Woods, is due out in 2013. Dr. Hare will talk about his research on great apes and dogs and will be seeking volunteers from the audience to participate in some cognitive puzzles that young children and animals enjoy solving.
