Honorary post-doctoral fellow

Research interests

I am broadly interested in the neuroethology and evolution of cognition. How are complex cognitions, like emotions, metacognition, social learning, and consciousness, accomplished by the brain? What are the cognitive limits of miniature brains? What neural circuitry is required for these cognitions, and how did they evolve in different brains?

In collaboration with colleagues in London, and elsewhere in the UK, in Finland, China and Australia, I (we!) attempt to answer these questions using techniques in behaviour, computational modelling, and neuroscience.

Selected peer-reviewed publications

Bumblebees learn a relational rule but switch to a win-stay/lose-switch heuristic after extensive training. HD MaBouDi, C Solvi, L Chittka. 2020 Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience 14 (137)

Bumblebees display cross-modal object recognition between visual and tactile senses. C Solvi, SG Al-Khudhairy, L Chittka. 2020 Science 367 (6480), 910-912

How foresight might support the behavioral flexibility of arthropods. CJ Perry, L Chittka. 2019 Current opinion in neurobiology 54, 171-177

The frontiers of insect cognition. CJ Perry, AB Barron, L Chittka. 2017 Current opinion in behavioral sciences 16, 111-118

Bumblebees show cognitive flexibility by improving on an observed complex behavior. OJ Loukola, C Solvi, L Coscos, L Chittka. 2017 Science 355 (6327), 833-836

Unexpected rewards induce dopamine-dependent positive emotion–like state changes in bumblebees. C Solvi, L Baciadonna, L Chittka. 2016 Science 353 (6307), 1529-1531

Associative mechanisms allow for social learning and cultural transmission of string pulling in an insect. S Alem, CJ Perry, X Zhu, OJ Loukola, T Ingraham, E Søvik, L Chittka. 2016 PLoS Biology 14 (10), e1002564

Rapid behavioral maturation accelerates failure of stressed honey bee colonies. CJ Perry, E Søvik, MR Myerscough, AB Barron. 2015 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112 (11), 3427-3432

Honey bees selectively avoid difficult choices. CJ Perry, AB Barron. 2013 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110 (47), 19155-19159