Lebenslauf

2022 –
present

Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, Principal Investigator of the FWF-funded Project: “Small Wings, Loud Songs – Biomechanics and Biophysics of Sound Production in Crickets and Bush-Crickets” (Austrian Science Fund: P 35792-B). Neurons and Behaviour Lab, Institute of Biology

2022 –
present

Lecturer, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Austria

2019 –
2021

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, Neurons and Behaviour Lab, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Austria

2018 –
2019

Research collaborator, Bionanoscience, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK

2018 –
2021

Associate Lecturer, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, UK

2017 –
2018

Postdoctoral research assistant, Cognitive Science Lab (Prof. John Culling), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK

2014 –
2017

Postdoctoral researcher, Biomechanics & Sensory Biology Lab (Prof. Fernando Montealegre-Z), School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, UK

2012 –
2014

A-level chemistry science technician, Redland Green School, Bristol, UK

2007 –
2012

PhD in Biology, Bionanoscience, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK. Thesis: “A Detailed Analysis of Bioacoustical Signals and Behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster Courtship.” (Supervisor: Prof. Daniel Robert)

2006 –
2007

PhD student (brain anatomy and neurobiology), Department of Anatomy with Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

2003 –
2005

Diplom in Biology, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany. Thesis: “Analysis of The Bioacoustical Component of Aggressive and Courtship Behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster.” (A) (Supervisors: Prof. Ralf Heinrich, Prof. Norbert Elsner). Major subjects: Zoology (A), Microbiology (A), Physical Chemistry (A)

2022 –
2025

FWF (Austrian Science Fund) Principal Investigator Project (€ 409 130): “Small Wings, Loud Songs – Biomechanics and Biophysics of Sound Production in Crickets and Bush-Crickets” (P 35792-B).

2019 –
2021

Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship (€ 174 167): “From Insect Wings to Miniature Loudspeakers - A Bionic Modelling Approach” (InWingSpeak, Grant ID 829208).

2017

Pump-Priming grant (£3000) from the School of Life Sciences, Lincoln, UK to establish a 3D image reconstruction workspace and incorporate 3D printed animal models into fieldwork and as a teaching device.

2016

Conference travelling grant (£1000) from the School of Life Sciences, Lincoln, UK to participate at the 7th International Conference on Fossil Insects, Arthropods and Amber, Edinburgh, UK.

2023

Expert evaluator for Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships

2023 –
present

Associate editor for insect neurobiology in Frontiers in Insect Science

2020 –
2023

Review editor for insect neurobiology in Frontiers in Insect Science

2016

Evaluator for the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) responsive mode research grants.

Review activity

Peer reviewer for the following journals: PNAS, Current Biology, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, PLOS Computational Biology, Global Change Biology, Journal of Experimental Biology, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Frontiers in Insect Science, PeerJ, PLOS One, WIREs Cognitive Science, Bioacoustics, Journal of Insect Physiology, Journal of Insect Science, Science of Nature, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, ZooKeys, Boletin del Museo de Entomología de la Universidad del Valle.

2022 –
present

KinderUni and departmental Open Days, University of Graz, Austria – Organiser and demonstrator for various public engagement activities.

“From thought to action”: Hands-on experiments on the function and control of muscles for primary and secondary school students.

“The physics of waves”: Experiments on the nature of waves and their use in science for secondary school and A-Level students.

2017

Scientific Mentor at the EPQ Mentoring Fair, Bristol, UK – Mentoring of A-Level students in support of the Extended Project Qualification programme.

2016

European Researcher’s Night, Lincoln, UK – “Ears in the legs”: Hearing in insects and experiments on the function of cricket ears.

2015

Festival of Nature, Bristol, UK – “Bees, Flowers and Electrostatics”: Interactive demonstrations on electrostatic forces and electrostatics in plants and bees.

2015

Britannia Village Primary School, London, UK

Hands-on science lesson on adaptation and evolution.

2014

BBSRC Great British Bioscience Festival, London, UK – “Electrostatic Interactions Between Bees and Flowers”

2014

Royal Society Summer Exhibition, London, UK – “Through the Insect Ear”: Sound production and hearing in living and fossilised bush crickets.