#MeetMe: a Primate Economist
When people think of economic research, my area of expertise typically ranks low on the list of possible topics one might be studying. In fact, no matter the crowd I find myself in, the reveal of my Ph.D. project raises every eyebrow in the room… And keeps them raised until I can fully explain myself. The reason: I study economics in our long-lost primate relative, the macaque.
While this easily gets me mistaken for a primate economist, my actual title is that of a decision neuroscientist — or neuroeconomist — and I study monkey economics to better understand the brain mechanisms behind human economic behavior. A peculiar approach perhaps, but comparing the choice patterns of humans and other primate species actually tells us a lot about the brain regions we have in common. And you would be surprised: macaques love blackcurrant juice as much as we love money.
Through comparing human and monkey economics, I study an area of the brain within the prefrontal cortex called the orbitofrontal cortex (the part of your brain found right above your eye orbits). OFC for short, this brain area is still somewhat of a mystery for neuroscientists, but current research suggests it encodes the values your brain uses to make choices. In other words, during a decision, the OFC signals the value of the options put before you; deriving these values from the outcomes your brain has predicted. To understand how the OFC might do this, I study how predictions influence choice behavior in macaques. I will then look at how this behavior matches up with the brain activity we see in the OFC.
Think of it as me giving you 2$ when you expect nothing; versus me promising 4$ but only giving you 2$. Now, let's compare this with me simply taking 2$ from you. The question I try to answer from this is: how does the OFC represent these situations, and how did your expectations influence your choice decisions. The difference is that I do this with monkeys, with fruit juices rather than dollars.
When and how did you pick your field?
I can pinpoint the exact moment I became obsessed with monkeys and economics. I was 19 and thinking of going into business for my undergraduate. Before I made my final choice, however, I took a liking to an ‘introduction to neuroscience’ class I was taking at the time. Because of this, my dad suggested I watch that TED talk about a neuroscientist who had had a stroke; next thing I knew I was on a TED talk marathon that brought me face to face with my current research topic: Monkey Economics. I ended up choosing to study both neuroscience and economics for my undergraduate degree, and have since merged the two for my Ph.D.
What did 10-year old ‘you’ want to do?
10-year old me was obsessed with a TV show called ‘Kratts Creatures’, which later evolved into the hit kids show Zoboomafoo. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, picture two young, American David Attenboroughs talking wildlife. I wanted to be just like them: an explorer and a biologist.
In the grand scheme of things, why does your research matter?
This question is always a hard one because, like any kind of basic research, the applications of my research are much further down the line… In another lab… In another field. My research will not cure brain disease, identify the genetics of economic rationality, or allow us to communicate with macaques. What it does provide, however, is an understanding of the different systems the brain uses to make choices. Think of these systems as interconnected building blocks, where my job is to understand the role and fit of a particular block.
I will not cure brain disease, but my research on the OFC can help others understand the symptoms caused by OFC dysfunction. It can help us understand why economic models fail to predict our behavior in some situations. It might even, one day, help us understand what makes our species so special.
Is there something you never thought you would do as a scientist, that you now do?
I never thought I would end up doing stand-up comedy as a means of engaging people with my research. I think that is perhaps the one thing I would not have imagined myself doing as part of my Ph.D.… Other than that, your work is what you make it: if you want to do something, there is always a way to fit it in somehow.
What would you do were you not in research?
I would probably be wildlife photographer or a video game designer. Either-or. I am drawn to creative projects that allow you to explore the deepest reaches of your imagination — while keeping an open window on reality. I get the best of both worlds with science.
