Lily Johnson-Ulrich

• Postdoctoral Research, University of Zurich
• PhD in Zoology, Michigan State University
• BA in Psychology, University of Miami

Dr. Johnson-Ulrich is a cognitive ecologist interested in the development, evolution, and adaptive function of cognitive abilities. In particular, she is interested in the relationship between urbanization and animal cognition. Urbanization is an exciting topic from both an ecological and an applied perspective: urbanization creates an (un)natural experiment to study how environmental change and novelty affect cognitive skills in situ and/or how cognitive skills may facilitate adaptation and persistence under environmental change. In addition, with urbanization expanding globally, understanding how and why some animals may co-exist alongside humans while others face extinction is a question of increasing importance.  Dr. Johnson-Ulrich has studied innovation, inhibitory control, problem-solving, learning, spatial cognition, social cognition, and exploration behavior in spotted hyenas and meerkats and is expanding her work to include urban coyotes in NYC.

• Johnson-Ulrich, L., & Forss, S. (2025). How cognitively demanding is the urban niche? Reconsidering exaptation and habituation. Animal Cognition, 28(1), 48.
• Birchmeier, K., Johnson-Ulrich, L., Stein, J., & Forss, S. (2023). The role of umwelt in animal curiosity: A within and between species comparison of novelty exploration in mongooses. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 10(4), 329-354.
• Johnson-Ulrich, L., Johnson-Ulrich, Z., & Holekamp, K. E. (2022). Natural conditions and adaptive functions of problem-solving in the Carnivora. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 44, 101111.
• Johnson-Ulrich, L., Yirga, G., Strong, R. L., & Holekamp, K. E. (2021). The effect of urbanization on innovation in spotted hyenas. Animal Cognition, 24(5), 1027-1038.
• Johnson-Ulrich, L., & Holekamp, K. E. (2020). Group size and social rank predict inhibitory control in spotted hyaenas. Animal Behaviour, 160, 157-168.
• Green, D. S., Johnson-Ulrich, L., Couraud, H. E., & Holekamp, K. E. (2018). Anthropogenic disturbance induces opposing population trends in spotted hyenas and African lions. Biodiversity and Conservation, 27(4), 871-889.