What have you done in your professional life so far?

So far, in my professional life, I have tied termites to fishing wire, made tiny little sleds for cheese, fed ants food colouring to see where they poop, glued toothpicks onto cockroaches, and bought 50 boxes of Ferrero Rocher in order to examine spider evolution. I have had the joy of supervising many wonderful (and some awful) students. I also write papers, get grants, and occasionally win awards.

What appeals to you about your new position?

Being out of the scientific precariat is a wonderful feeling. But I suppose this refers to the specifics of my position? Well, I am very much enjoying the place and the people! I have met with uniformly wonderful colleagues here at the BCP, and it is clear that I will be very happy here, both scientifically and socially. While I am sadly rather far away from everyone, having been banished to the Albrecht-Thaer-Weg, working in what is essentially a farm, with fields, apple trees, and goats as neighbours is certainly appealing.

What do you love about your job?

Coming up with ridiculous experiment ideas and then making them a reality in collaboration with colleagues and students.

Which task could you gladly do without in your job, but of course you always do it conscientiously?

I love giving lectures and teaching, but don't enjoy the process of making lectures very much. Oh, and and the endless paper-pushing.

What life hack or insight has influenced your teaching?

If I'm having fun while teaching, the students are having fun while learning

How can your research be applied?

Hopefully, my work will lead to new approaches to control invasive ants - a large and growing ecological and economic problem. I also hope that the insights we are gaining about insect cognition will eventually transform into concrete recommendations for how insects should be treated - whether we can make our bred insects happier, and if so, how.

What should people know about your personal life?

I guess it's quite important to know that I'm a single parent with two kids, so sometimes my time is limited. They're good kids though, so don't make my life too hard!

What person or personality has influenced you, how and why?

It’s pretty boring, but my PhD supervisor Francis Ratieks had a huge influence on me as a researcher. His style of quick, fun, projects is one I try, often unsuccessfully, to emulate. I certainly learned my scientific impatience from him, and the joy of the one month project.

What do you wish you had known earlier?

Nothing, honestly! Things are just fine the way they are. But maybe ask me again in five years, when I realise all the mistakes I am making as a new professor.