Adolf Heschl studied biology at the University of Graz (PhD 1985, "Causal Analysis of an Innate Releasing Mechanism, IRM"). After a Postdoctoral scholarship at the University of Geneva, 1985-1987 (training in developmental psychology at the Centre International d'Epistémologie Génétique — Centre Jean Piaget) he became Research Assistant with the Department of Theoretical Biology in the Institute of Zoology at the University of Vienna (field of research: evolutionary epistemology). Heschl joined the KLI in 1994 as Research Assistant to work on a project on "Object Permanence in the European Ground Squirrel Spermophilus citellus. From 1996 until 2002 he was also the executive manager of the KLI. His collaboration with Lic. J. Burkart on "Theory of Mind Abilities in Marmoset Monkeys" was started in 1999. He was granted the Theodor Körner Research Award in 2002.