Profile
Abstract
I am a scientific researcher at the Department of Human Biology and Primate Cognition at the Institute of Biology, as well as a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin.
My research focuses on the socio-cognitive abilities of humans, non-human primate species, and canids (wolves and dogs). By employing a comparative approach, I aim to gain insights into the evolutionary processes of social cognition. I am particularly interested in the perception and production of communicative and emotional expressions in social interactions and how this interplay has evolved over time. Additionally, I investigate cross-species interactions to determine the extent to which these abilities exist.
In a separate ongoing project, I explore the impact of biodiversity on our health and well-being. This project, funded by the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research).
Professional career
- since 07/2023
Postdoctoral researcher in the research group "Human Biology and Primate Cognition" at the Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig. - since 10/2017
Guest Lecturer at University of Osnabrück (Germany), Department of Behavioural Biology. - 03/2018 - 06/2023
Postdoctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Human Development Berlin, Max Planck Research Group ‘Naturalistic Social Cognition’. - 10/2014 - 02/2018
ERC Postdoctoral Researcher at Freie Universität Berlin. Department of Education and Psychology; Comparative Developmental Psychology.
Education
- 07/2007 - 10/2011
Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Leipzig (Germany) on "Social cognition of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)", Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Michael Tomasello & Prof. Dr. Constanze Scharff - 10/2001 - 06/2006
Studies in Biology at the Freie Universität Berlin and University of Mainz. Degree: Diploma in Biology, Focus: Ethology, Psychology Ecology, Zoology and Animal Physiology.