Jan Havlíček

He works as an associate professor at the Ethology Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, and as a senior researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health. His research interest is in human ethology, particularly focusing on the evolutionary aspects of social perception. His research group investigates how body odours, faces, and voices influence the formation of first impressions, especially in the context of mate choice and physical competition. Additionally, he studies the formation of romantic relationships, the behavioural immune system, and the interaction between biological and cultural evolution.

He graduated in Biology (B.Sc.), Anthropology (M.Sc.), and Philosophy of Natural Sciences (Ph.D.) from the Faculty of Science, Charles University. In 2010, he was appointed as an associate professor (docent) in anthropology. He has participated in several long-term field works (e.g., Cameroon, Namibia, Papua New Guinea). He has been the principal investigator of 7 research grants from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic and the University Research Centre. He has published over 140 academic papers (H-index = 34), including articles in high-profile scientific journals such as Psychological Science, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, and Proceedings of the Royal Society B. He has also contributed to several edited volumes including Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology and Romantic Relationships and The Routledge International Handbook of Comparative Psychology.