Johan Antoon Reinier Alex Maria "Jan" van Hooff (born 15 May 1936) is a Dutch biologist best known for his research involving primates.

[3] He grew up with feeding lions, giving bottles to tigers, and a baby macaque abandoned by its mother lived in his home.

Due to Van Hooff's involvement a group of chimpanzees was added to Royal Burgers' Zoo in 1971.

This latter group was intensively researched by Frans de Waal, van Hooff's first PhD student.

[3] In 1971 he obtained his doctorate at Utrecht University with a dissertation titled:"Aspecten van het sociale gedrag en de communicatie bij humane en hogere niet-humane primaten" (Aspects of the social behaviour and communication of human and higher non-human primates) under Nico Frijda and Dijkgraaf.

[5] A video published in May 2016 showing the emotional reunion of Van Hooff with Mama, a 59-year-old chimpanzee with terminal illness at the Royal Burgers' Zoo, attracted over 10 million views.