Lab Members

Blair Costelloe

Blair is a behavioral ecologist interested in the collective behavior and predator-prey interactions of large African mammals. Through the HerdHover project, she has pioneered the use of drones in field studies of animal behavior and collaborates with computer scientists and roboticists to advance ecology and conservation by developing new research technologies. She is a PI and leader of the WildDrone and WildBotics projects. Blair holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University and completed postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. She is currently a Project Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, where she leads an interdisciplinary research group focused on quantitative behavioral ecology.

Elena Iannino

Elena is a Doctoral Candidate at the IMPRS for Quantitative Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution, and member of the WildDrone Project. Elena earned her Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science – Wildlife Management at the University of Turin and holds a Master’s degree in Applied Ecology from the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. Throughout her studies, Elena enriched her academic profile by gaining experience in fieldwork and statistical analysis across diverse regions in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Her current research focuses on using thermal drones and bio-logging approaches to understand the movement and hunting decisions of lions in the context of prey landscapes.

Former Lab Members

Ben Koger

Ben completed his PhD at the Max Planck Instite of Animal Behavior in 2022, under the joint supervision of Blair and Iain Couzin. Ben’s research focused on developing image-based techniques for animal tracking and behavioral studies, and he was a key member of the HerdHover project. He went on to a postdoc at the University of Washington and is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Wyoming.

Felicitas Oehler

Felicitas earned her Masters degree at the University of Konstanz, where she worked with Blair on the HerdHover project. Her Masters thesis explored intra-group dynamics in plains and Grevy’s zebra herds. She went on to complete a Ph.D. the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna and is now conducting wildlife research at the LAZBW in Germany.

Sven Lauke

Sven earned his Masters degree at the University of Konstanz, where he worked with Blair on the HerdHover project. His Masters thesis examined the disturbance responses of ungulate herds to drones. He is currently a Project Manager at iTerra Energy.