Philip Starks
Research/Areas of Interest
Animal Behavior and Evolutionary Biology: Behavioral decision-making, recognition systems, and the evolution of sociality, with a focus on how simple rules generate coordinated responses in social groups under environmental stress (especially in social insects such as honey bees)
Darwinian Medicine and Human Behavioral Biology: Evolutionary approaches to human health and behavior, including fever, placebo effects, and behavioral responses to infection and stress
Public Scholarship and Science Communication: Translating evolutionary biology to broad audiences, particularly in the context of human health, behavior, and their broader societal implications
Education
- PhD, Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States, 1999
- AB, Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States, 1994
- AS, Biology, Northern Essex Community College, Essex, United States, 1991
Biography
Philip Starks is a behavioral ecologist whose work examines how simple behavioral rules generate complex outcomes in biological systems.
His research focuses on how social groups respond to environmental stress, and how individual decisions scale into coordinated, colony-level behavior. Much of his empirical work centers on social insects—particularly honey bees—where he studies thermoregulation, nutrition, and host–pathogen interactions. Across systems, his work asks a common question: when do local decisions produce effective collective responses, and when do they fail?
Starks also works in Darwinian medicine, applying evolutionary theory to understand human health and behavior. His research and writing in this area address topics such as fever, placebo effects, and behavioral responses to infection.
In addition to his academic research, Starks is an active public scholar. His writing has appeared in outlets including JAMA, The Conversation, and Scientific American, where he brings evolutionary perspectives to questions of human health, behavior, and their broader societal implications. Many of these pieces emerge from his teaching, particularly his seminar in Darwinian Medicine.
His research focuses on how social groups respond to environmental stress, and how individual decisions scale into coordinated, colony-level behavior. Much of his empirical work centers on social insects—particularly honey bees—where he studies thermoregulation, nutrition, and host–pathogen interactions. Across systems, his work asks a common question: when do local decisions produce effective collective responses, and when do they fail?
Starks also works in Darwinian medicine, applying evolutionary theory to understand human health and behavior. His research and writing in this area address topics such as fever, placebo effects, and behavioral responses to infection.
In addition to his academic research, Starks is an active public scholar. His writing has appeared in outlets including JAMA, The Conversation, and Scientific American, where he brings evolutionary perspectives to questions of human health, behavior, and their broader societal implications. Many of these pieces emerge from his teaching, particularly his seminar in Darwinian Medicine.