Get to know me

Which scientific mystery would you love to see solved in your lifetime?

If I could see one scientific mystery solved in my lifetime, it would be to understand consciousness. How does a tangled web of neurons somehow produce your character, love, boredom, the urge to check your phone or the sudden realization you left the tube in the centrifuge? We still have no idea how subjective experience arises from brain activity. And that is, in my opinion, both humbling and fascinating. Solving this mystery would reshape neuroscience, challenge our understanding of self and maybe even help us understand what’s really going on in the mind of a dog that is staring and barking at a stone or wall (mine does that quite often).

What’s the most useless piece of knowledge you know but still want to share?

A shrimp’s heart is in its head. Completely useless, but now you know too. Alternatively: Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t. Let that chaos sink in next time you’re making a smoothie. You’re welcome!

What piece of lab equipment best represents your personality?

Definitely a vortex mixer. I might look calm on the outside, but press the right button and I spin into controlled chaos. I always need to move – and honestly, the best way to reset my focus is to just dance it out for about 15 seconds. Briefly, productively, and whirling just enough to mix ideas, not spill them!