promotor/supervisor: Freerk Molleman

For my master’s thesis, I studied fruit-feeding butterflies on Mount Nimba in Liberia. I looked at how butterfly communities differed between forest and savannah, across elevations and seasons, and how seasonal conditions related to the traits and reproductive activity of common species. This work led me to broader questions about how the environment affects butterflies. In my PhD, I study how weather and climate shape tropical butterfly populations, including their activity and responses to heat.

When it comes to my hobbies and passions: I enjoy hiking and learning about the relationships between plants and insects. Football has been a passion since childhood, and I also enjoy yoga, philosophical books and science-fiction films.