Pete Hurd, Associate Prof.
Department of Psychology, &
Centre for Neuroscience
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
T6G 2E9

Ph (office) : 780.492-3578
Ph (dry lab) : 780.492-5259
Ph (wet lab) : 780.492-8058
Fax (dept): 780.492-1768
e-mail: phurd@ualberta.ca

Office: Biological Sciences Building, Room P-445
Office Hours: TBA

Honours Advising Office (BS-P 222C) Hours:
Honours Advising hours: TBA
 Pete Hurd

Education and Employment:

on Sabbatical 2009 in Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University with Bernie Crespi
Associate Professor 2007 Department of Psychology, University of Alberta
Member 2006 Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta
Assistant Professor 2001 Department of Psychology, University of Alberta
Lecturer (Biostatistics) 2000 School of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
Post-Doctoral Fellow 1999 Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin with Mike Ryan
Ph.D. 1997 Zoology Institute, Stockholm University with Magnus Enquist
M.Sc. 1993 Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University with Ron Ydenberg
B.Sc. (with Highest Honours) 1990 Departments of Biology & Psychology, Carleton University with Pat Weatherhead.

Teaching and Advising:

Science Honours Advising: By appointment.

Game theory study group: Fall 2009 my lab will be holding weekly meetings in a vague approximation of an advanced undergrad/grad course in game theory (minus tests, assignments, project presentations, etcetera). Anyone interested is invited, contact me if interested. Times to be arranged.

Research and Supervision:

I'm a biologist in the Department of Psychology's Biocognition Unit, and the University's Centre for Neuroscience. My students and I study the evolution of social behaviour between individuals in situations of conflict. I am particularly interested in communication and decision making in aggressive interactions. My research uses both mathematical modelling (principally game theory and genetic algorithms, but have also used neural networks, and stochastic dynamic programming models), and empirical research (from experimental economics and whole organismal behavioural ecology to molecular genetics and immunocytochemistry of brain regions involved in sexual and aggressive behaviours). I am also interested in how the process of sexual differentiation produces individual differences in personality and social behaviour.

An informal university profile of my research can be found here. University coverage of some of my grad student, Allie Bailey's, work. More coverage by of the same work by the BBC, the New York Times, Discover Magazine, Scientific American Mind, National Geographic and Jay Leno.

Research Opportunities: I am usually looking for prospective lab members. Undergraduate Psychology students interested in working on a PSYCO 299 (2nd year students), PSYCO 496/498 Individual Study project, or Honours Project. Neuroscience students interested in examining neurological basis of personality in animals, Prospective graduate students with research experience, and postdoctoral researchers with funding are all encouraged to contact me.

Recent Work: (2005 to present)

Full publication list here