Max Planck Research Group Leaders

Christian Hilbe

Christian Hilbe · BMS

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology · Plön, Germany

Email
hilbe [at] evolbio [dot] mpg [dot] de

Biography

I am currently a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön.

Education and positions held

  • 2020 – present
    • Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Evolutionary Biology
  • 2015-2019
    • Post-Doc at IST Austria
  • 2013-2015
    • Post-Doc at Harvard University, USA
  • 2011-2013
    • Post-Doc MPI for Evolutionary Biology, Germany
  • 2008-2011
    • PhD in Mathematics at the University of Vienna, Austria
  • 2004-2008
    • Undergraduate studies in Mathematics at the University of Vienna, Austria.

Research Summary

I use the tools of (evolutionary) game theory and behavioural economics to explore human behaviour. By combining mathematical models, computer simulations and lab experiments, we seek to explore when humans cooperate. One key area of our research is the evolution of reciprocity. How do individuals cooperate in stable groups (direct reciprocity)? And how do social norms in large populations evolve (indirect reciprocity)?

Key publications

  • Hauser et al (2019) “”Social dilemmas among unequals””, Nature 572:524-527
  • Hilbe et al (2018) “”Indirect reciprocity with private, noisy, and incomplete Information””, PNAS 115:12241-12246
  • Hilbe et al (2018) “”Evolution of cooperation in stochastic games””, Nature 559:246-249″