Welcome

Summary

I am a behavioural ecologist, cognitive biologist and conservationist with more than 10 years of experience in research, combining observational (e.g., direct observations, remote camera traps) and non-invasive experimental (e.g., touch screen and playback experiments) approaches in the field and in captivity. My scientific core expertise lays in comparative approaches to the evolution of cognitive capacities and behaviour. Specifically, I worked with birds and non-human primates in the fields of visual cognition and acoustic communication. I currently focus on four species of old-world primates (forest guenons, Cercopithecus ssp., and Western-lowland gorillas, Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in their natural forest habitats in West and Central Africa. During my work in eight countries on three continents, I especially appreciated to have had the chance to closely collaborate with women and men of various ethnical, religious, economic and educational backgrounds. Additional to teaching in a university context, I particularly enjoy the individual supervision of future researchers with the ultimate goal to promote individual development and academic excellence.