Winners of Images of Research Competition 2026

Dr Chris Young, Senior Lecturer in Evolution and Social Behaviour in the School of Social Sciences, took first place with his striking photograph Raising Resilience: Motherhood and Survival in the Wild.

Created as part of his research in South Africa on chacma baboons, the image shows a mother baboon keeping watch over her infant. It reflects the constant challenges baboon mothers face in helping their young survive and thrive in environments shaped by predators, social conflict and environmental pressures.

The meaning behind the image:

A mother baboon scans the valley below, alert to dangers that could threaten her infant’s survival. For baboon mothers, the primary task is simple in theory yet daunting in practice: to nurture their young and give them the best possible chance to reach adulthood and reproduce. In the harsh environments baboons inhabit, this goal is constantly challenged by aggression from other troop members, predation by leopards, the risk of infanticide following the arrival of new males, and environmental pressures such as drought and declining food quality. I conduct long term field research with NTU colleagues at Swebeswebe Wildlife Estate in Limpopo, South Africa. We examine individual health and resilience in wild chacma baboons and how social bonds form across the lifespan, and how these relationships may buffer individuals against adversity. Much like human friendships, strong social connections may prove critical in helping individuals cope with life’s challenges and ultimately thrive.