Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Biosketch
After studying biology at the University of Groningen I did my PhD under supervision of Joost Tinbergen at the department of Animal Ecology of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO - KNAW) - and in 1995 defended my PhD thesis "Reproductive decisions in great tits; An optimality approach" (Cum laude). After Postdoc positions at the University of Bristol ( John McNamara , Mathematics Department), Oxford ( Chris Perrins , Dept. of Zoology) and University of Uppsala ( Lars Gustafsson , Dept. of Zoology) I obtained an 'open competition' NWO-grant, enabling a return to the University of Groningen. In 2004 I was awarded a Vici-grant, enabling the creation of a new research group (animals@work) embedded in the Behavioural Biology group, and we are continuing the work started with that project.
External positions
Member editorial board / Associate Editor: Journal of Avian Biology, Frontiers in Zoology and Frontiers in Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics where Simon Verhulst is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Age dependent reproductive effort in great tits
Verhulst, S., Jan-2026, In: Journal of Avian Biology. 2026, 1, 6 p., e03541.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)13 Downloads (Pure) -
A mechanistic understanding of collective escape in starling flocks
Papadopoulou, M., Hildenbrandt, H., Storms, R. F., Carere, C., Verhulst, S. & Hemelrijk, C. K., 18-May-2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Communications biology. 29 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Downloads (Pure) -
Begging efficiency rather than food received causes brood size effect on growth in zebra finches
Tangili, M., Briga, M. & Verhulst, S., 6-Mar-2026, In: Behaviour. 163, 2, p. 125-146 22 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)2 Downloads (Pure) -
Inferences from epigenetic information in an ecological context: a case study of early-life environmental effects on DNA methylation in zebra finches
Tangili, M., Palsbøll, P. J. & Verhulst, S., 23-Jul-2026, In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 381, 1955, 17 p., 20250025.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Mothers Matter Most: Maternal, but Not Paternal, Age and Inbreeding Affect Nestling Telomere Length in a Wild Passerine
Evans, J., Eastwood, J., Teunissen, N., Verhulst, S., Mikheyev, A. & Peters, A., Jun-2026, In: Molecular Ecology. 35, 12, 13 p., e70437.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Projects
- 5 Finished
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AL-III: DNA-methylation as an epigenetic clock of biological age: A new tool to study ageing and ecology & evolution of life histories?
Verhulst, S. (PI), Dugdale, H. (PI), Palsboll, P. (PI) & Tangili, M. (PhD student)
01/08/2020 → 01/08/2024
Project: Research
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AL-II: Parsing developmental plasticity of personality in zebra finches
Verhulst, S. (PI), Boer ,de, S. (PI) & Gerritsma, Y. (PI)
01/10/2017 → 01/02/2023
Project: Research
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Preventing bird strikes: Developing RoboFalcons to deter bird flocks
Hemelrijk, C. (PI), Verhulst, S. (PI), Storms, R. (PhD student) & Papadopoulou, M. (PhD student)
01/04/2017 → 01/04/2021
Project: Research
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AL-I: Mosaic aging
Verhulst, S. (PI), Pen, I. (PI), Tieleman, I. (PI) & Driessen, M. (PhD student)
01/01/2017 → 01/10/2023
Project: Research
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Telomeres and life histories: All's well that ends well?
Verhulst, S. (PI) & Boonekamp, J. (PhD student)
01/10/2013 → 01/01/2018
Project: Research
Activities
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Oud, ouder, oudst
Verhulst, S. (Speaker)
21-Nov-2024Activity: Talk and presentation › Professional or public presentation › Popular
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European Conference on Behavioural Biology 2022
Billeter, J.-C. (Member of organising committee), Drion, C. (Member of organising committee), Kraak, P. (Member of organising committee), Maan, M. (Member of organising committee) & Verhulst, S. (Member of organising committee)
20-Jul-2022 → 23-Jul-2022Activity: Organising and attending an event › Organising and contributing to an event › Academic
File -
Telomere Research Network (TRN) - Executive Committee (External organisation)
Verhulst, S. (Member)
Sept-2019 → …Activity: Membership › Academic
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Evolutie van veroudering en levensduur - Eind goed, al goed?
Verhulst, S. (Speaker)
17-Oct-2017Activity: Talk and presentation › Inaugural lecture › Popular
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ESEB 2017
Beukeboom, L. (Chair/vice-chair of organising committee), Verhulst, S. (Chair/vice-chair of organising committee), Wertheim, B. (Member of organising committee), Maan, M. (Member of organising committee), Steerenberg, P. (Treasurer of organising committee), Plender-Hartman, E. (Secretary of organising committee), Weissing, F. (Chair/vice-chair of scientific committee) & van Doorn, S. (Member of scientific committee)
2015 → 2017Activity: Organising and attending an event › Organising and contributing to an event › Academic
Datasets
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Data from: Food availability affects adult survival trajectories depending on early developmental conditions
Briga, M. (Creator), Koetsier, E. (Creator), Boonekamp, J. (Creator), Jimeno, B. (Creator) & Verhulst, S. (Creator), University of Groningen, 1-Dec-2016
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.jp8n4
Dataset
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Data from: Mosaic metabolic ageing: Basal and standard metabolic rate age in opposite directions and independent of environmental quality, sex and lifespan in a passerine
Briga, M. (Contributor) & Verhulst, S. (Contributor), University of Groningen, 2-Mar-2021
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.pzgmsbck8, https://zenodo.org/record/4574586
Dataset
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Data from: Reduced telomere length in offspring of old fathers in a long-lived seabird
Bouwhuis, S. (Contributor), Verhulst, S. (Contributor), Bauch, C. (Contributor) & Vedder, O. (Contributor), University of Groningen, 23-May-2018
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.mc763v6, https://zenodo.org/record/4977884
Dataset
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Data for: Cool, dry nights and short heatwaves during growth result in longer telomeres in temperate songbird nestlings
Eastwood, J. (Creator), Dupoué, A. (Creator), Verhulst, S. (Creator), Cockburn, A. (Creator) & Peters, A. (Creator), DRYAD, 22-Aug-2023
Dataset
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Data from: Age dependent reproductive effort in great tits
Verhulst, S. (Creator), DRYAD, 18-Jul-2025
Dataset
Press/Media
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Great tits thrive in old-growth forests
29/01/2025
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment › Popular
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Het eeuwige leven bestaat, in de Middellandse Zee. Voor andere schepselen komt ouderdom met gebreken
12/10/2023
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment › Popular
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Model finds COVID-19 deaths among elderly may be due to genetic limit on cell division
06/05/2022 → 27/07/2022
17 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment › Popular
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RUG-bioloog wil dierproef afdwingen via de rechter
25/11/2020 → 07/04/2021
3 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research › Academic
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Starlings sleep less during summer and full-moon nights
van Hasselt, S., Rusche, M., Verhulst, S. & Meerlo, P.
19/03/2020 → 20/03/2020
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research › Academic
Prizes
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Open Research Award 2024
Tangili, M. (Recipient), Sudyka, J. (Recipient), Garcia Furni, F. (Recipient), Palsboll, P. (Recipient) & Verhulst, S. (Recipient), 7-Nov-2024
Prize › Academic