Understanding human infant care by studying marmosets

Varner Professor of Psychology and Biology, UNO



Dr. Jeff French believes we can learn a lot about child care from the marmoset, a primate whose social life and behavior closely parallels humans. His research indicates that mothers and fathers take turns in caring for infants based on hormonal changes, which makes marmosets excellent models for studying hormone-related behavior patterns in human infant care.

French’s research on hormones and behavior in marmosets at UNO has been supported continuously by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1987. His work is currently supported by a $410,000 grant from NSF and an $850,000 grant from the NIH.