Paula Ibáñez de Aldecoa
I have always been passionate about animal behaviour, with a special interest in the area of Cognitive Biology. After obtaining a BSc degree in Biology and a MSc degree in Neuroscience, I participated in projects on the molecular and ethological aspects of memory and learning in rodents, and on exploration and spatial navigation in children and macaques.
My PhD research focuses on the mechanisms, components and promoters of innovation in animals and humans. For this, I am studying the role of habit formation on divergent thinking and problem solving in humans, as well as the ability of transferring knowledge acquired in a situation that requires tool use to a novel context in Goffin’s cockatoos. In the latter species, I will also investigate the relationship between their play behaviour and innovative abilities. Finally, I will study the influence of ecological variables in innovativeness in Darwin finches using an interspecies comparison.
