Dr Nicholas J Mulcahy, Co-founder & Director

Email: nick@worldapefund.org

Nick has conducted scientific research with the four species of great apes for the past 25 years. Many of his studies have investigated how great apes use tools and in what ways they can think about tool use. Nick's research has been included in over 30 scientific books and has received world-wide media attention, such as the National Geographic and the BBC.

Michèle began research with great apes in 2004 by observing the behaviour of orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos. She has also published research on the tool use behaviour of orangutans. Michèle's current interest is measuring the intelligence of great apes, gibbons and other primates by giving them interesting puzzles to solve. Michèle is based at the Anthropological Institute & Museum, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Dr John Sha, Head of Conservation 

John has conducted numerous conservation and research projects on wild primates over the past 17 years. His projects have included topics such as social behaviour, diet, and conservation management of endangered primate species. John's work has been included in over 20 scientific and popular publications, including a co-authored book about primate ecology and behaviour. John is based at the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan.

Professor Beto Vianna, Head of Educational Projects
 
Beto has worked with all the great ape species and conducted research on great ape communication and human-animal interaction. Other research interests include general education, linguistic minorities and anthropology of science. Beto spent several years living in Nigeria, Africa, where he taught linguistics and Portuguese language. Currently, Beto is based at the Federal University of Sergipe in the Northeast of Brazil.

Professor Bill von Hippel, Scientific Consultant

Bill is Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland, Australia. His research interests include evolutionary psychology and social intelligence and he has published over 150 scientific papers and book chapters. Bill has won many honours and awards and his research is regularly featured in the media, such as National Geographic, BBC, Discovery Channel, ABC Australia, Nature News, Scientific American, New Scientist and the New York Times, which listed Bill’s study on endangered animals as one of the “100 Ideas of the Year”.  

Professor Carel van Schaik, Scientific Consultant

Carel is professor at the Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Switzerland. He is a renowned expert on wild orangutan behaviour and has published over 300 scientific papers and book chapters. His work has received world-wide media attention and he is the recipient of the Osman Hill Memorial Medal awarded by the Primate Society of Great Britain. Carel is also author of the award-winning book, Among Orangutans: Red Apes and the Rise of Human Culture that provides valuable insights into orangutan social behaviour and their tool use skills.