I always wanted to become a behavioral biologist, which led me to study biology at Leipzig University. Early on, a professor warned us that most graduates would never work in biology. With this in mind, I completed a project in population genetics to improve my job prospects. Although the research group was great, I soon realized that lab work wasn’t for me – I was more interested in things and behaviours “one can see”.
Throughout my studies, I met several inspiring professors who encouraged my interests. One of them took me to the founding symposium of the new Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA) in Leipzig. While exploring the building, I became lost and met a man who asked why I was wandering around. I explained that I wanted to do behavioural research but had – literally – lost my way. He turned out to be Michael Tomasello, and this brief exchange led to a position as a student assistant in his Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology.
My first projects involved studying hamadryas baboons at the Leipzig Zoo, followed by three months at the Yerkes Primate Field Station in Atlanta, Georgia (US). Here I assisted Brian Hare with chimpanzee cognition research. This period was formative.I studied chimpanzee behaviour for the first time, learned how to design research projects, and met influential primatologists, such as Frans de Waal, Lisa Parr, Melissa Emory Thompson, and Signe Preuschoft. At the same time, I realised the research conditions at Yerkes were not something I wanted to pursue long-term.
After completing my biology degree, I started a PhD in Tomasello’s group, examining gestural communication in different ape species through observational work in zoos across Europe – an approach that matched my interest in naturalistic behavioural studies.
I later moved to the University of Portsmouth as a lecturer in psychology, gaining experience in a more teaching-oriented academic environment. Subsequently, I accepted an assistant professorship in evolutionary psychology within the Excellence Cluster Languages of Emotion at Freie Universität Berlin. There, I studied emotional expression in great apes and humans in an interdisciplinary setting that connected the humanities and natural sciences. Although I had long worked at the intersection of biology and psychology, this environment broadened my methodological perspectives. During this time, I also began fieldwork in Namibia and Indonesia and initiated projects on mother–infant interactions and prosocial behaviour across great ape species and diverse human contexts.
While searching for a permanent position, I realised that having an interdisciplinary profile, especially early in an academic career, can be a disadvantage when applying to German universities, where a lack of “Einschlägigkeit” in research and teaching was often criticised. By a stroke of luck arising from dual-career negotiations, I was offered a permanent position in biology at Leipzig University – a return to my roots. Around this time, I increasingly reflected on the purpose and impact of my research, particularly as all the ape species I study face severe threats to their survival.
With seed funding from LeipzigLab, I started the Children and Nature project with Daniel Haun from MPI EVA, examining why humans value certain species more than others and how children’s positive attitudes toward other species develop across socio-cultural contexts. What began as a small initiative has grown into a large interdisciplinary collaboration involving more than 50 researchers working in over 30 communities across 18 countries.
As my increasing interest in human-nature interactions grew, I became an iDiv Member and joined the Breathing Nature initiative to study how children’s relationships with nature develop over time. I also studied how these relationships interact with biodiversity loss and climate change. The interdisciplinary and open-minded atmosphere at iDiv, along with collaborations with leading ecologists, climate scientists, behavioural economists, and botanists, continues to shape my research agenda, now focusing on understanding human–nature relationships through collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches.