When you study Psychology at Queen Mary, you learn from academics who are leading experts in their fields. Their prolific research activity means that they’re at the forefront of the discipline, and passionate about making a positive difference.
Professor Lars Chittka is Professor of Sensory and Behavioural Ecology in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, and founder of Queen Mary’s Research Centre for Psychology. Renowned for his research into sensory systems, comparative cognition, and insect learning and memory, he’s a world-leading expert in the behaviour of bees and how they shape our lives. In October 2019, he was nominated for the prestigious Frontiers Spotlight Award, worth $100,000, for his research into the cognitive ability of insects.
Although bees’ brains contain less than a million neurons – compared to the 86 billion that humans have – Professor Chittka’s research has demonstrated that they can achieve an impressive array of tasks, from basic maths to connecting numbers and symbols.
Recently, a study led by Professor Chittka proved that bees could perform a complex cognitive feat previously thought to be unique to humans and a select group of animals such as apes, rats and dolphins: the ability to experience an object using one sense and later recognise it using another.
The Chittka lab researches how bees navigate and forage for food; they’re important pollinators that play a vital role in producing the food we eat. Below, Professor Chittka talks about his work and why bees’ health is so important for humans.