Research Focus
Dr. Sayers is a biological anthropologist with broad interests in primate cognition, ecology, evolution, and health. His research has included multidisciplinary approaches to understanding dietary decisions; psychological investigations of memory, communication, and metacognition; and the utilization of nonhuman primate models to address anthropological questions, including human evolution and translational approaches for behavior and neuroscience.
As Colony Administrator, Dr. Sayers contributes to the long-term management of primate resources at SNPRC, studies their population biology, and is active in the Breeding Colony Management Consortium of the National Primate Research Centers.
Inside the Lab
Dr. Sayers has over 20 years of experience working with nonhuman primates in both laboratory and field settings.
Main Technologies and Methods Used
- Ethological observation
- Naturalistic testing of cognition
- Computer-based testing of cognition
- Nutritional chemical analyses
- Phenotypic biomarkers
- Nonhuman primate model development