Position: Professor for general zoology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Research focus: evolution and epidemiology of viruses in bees
What do you love about viruses?
Their evolutionary dynamism
Who is your favourite scientist and why?
Charles Darwin, for his wisdom, deep insight, and cautious interpretation of the world
On what topic could you give a 30-min talk without preparation?
The decline of bees and the role therein of viruses
What is your favourite way to spend a day off?
Walking in the mountains
What are you currently learning?
Bayesian statistical inference
If you could create a new invention, what would it be?
A time machine
What is the most interesting question or challenge in science that is still unanswered?
The one I’m working on right now
What is the coolest thing about your research?
Having the opportunity to interact with lots of interesting folks
What do people think about you that isn’t true?
I’m mad about bees
What was your most surprising scientific finding?
That viral sequences extracted from two different hosts at the same field site were identical i.e. pathogen sharing among diverse host species
What was your biggest achievement and what was your biggest failure?
Achievements build one on the other such that each is diminished by the. next advance. Not to learn from a failure.
Which scientific topic (outside of your field of research) do you think should have more scientific attention?
AI
If you had the option to advise a younger version of yourself, what would that be?
Write more papers