Jacob D. Negrey
I’m a primatologist and anthropologist working at the interface of animal behavior, infectious disease ecology, and “geroscience” (i.e., the biology of aging and age-related diseases). I integrate data on social interactions, physiology, and microbiota to better understand variation in primate health and longevity as well as the trade-offs that individuals necessarily make in a resource-limited world. I’m especially interested in the ways humans impact nonhuman primate health and how we can leverage knowledge of these processes to promote both human and nonhuman welfare.
As of 2024, I co-direct the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, which is dedicated to the long-term study and protection of chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda.
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In 2023, I joined the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona as an assistant professor. If you're thinking about pursuing a PhD or you're an undergraduate student looking for research experience, feel free to contact me!
Students
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Cielo De La Rosa Meza
Cielo joined the University of Arizona in Fall 2024. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and earned her BA in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz, where she completed a thesis on chimpanzee foraging cognition. Before joining the APE lab, Cielo worked on projects examining the behavioral welfare of great apes at the Lester E. Fisher Center in Chicago and the behavioral ecology of capuchin monkeys in northwest Costa Rica.
In the APE lab, Cielo has worked on a project using remote camera trap videos to examine the physical function of the Ngogo chimpanzees. Building on this work, she is now interested in investigating the health and physiology of wild chimpanzees through measures of oxidative stress.
Outside of the lab, Cielo enjoys hiking and crafting.
Salmah Jombela
Salmah joined the University of Arizona in Fall 2025. She grew up in Uganda, where she specialized in primate conservation. Her research explores how tourism affects the health of chimpanzees and gorillas in Uganda’s national parks and evaluates the effectiveness of current conservation efforts. She has extensive experience working in Kibale National Park, engaging in community initiatives to reduce human–wildlife conflicts and studying how human diseases impact primates.
Outside of academia, she enjoys walks, picnics, dancing, and karaoke as enjoyable ways to relax and connect with others.