Hi, I'm Merel
I´m Dutch, so, true to my nationality´s stereotype, I am seen as stubborn and
way too direct. But in reality, I´m pretty shy, it´s a funny combination.
I come from a mom and dad with serious wanderlust
and a big love for animals of any kind. So clearly,
their genes (or upbringing?) are partially
"to blame" for me becoming
a biologist.
Besides being lucky enough to get to work with animals
and answer to my curiosities about them,
I´m also a mom to two lovely
and inquisitive girls.
When I am not spending my free time with my family
(basically before I had kids), my biggest
hobby is painting.... animals,
who would have
guessed ;-)
way too direct. But in reality, I´m pretty shy, it´s a funny combination.
I come from a mom and dad with serious wanderlust
and a big love for animals of any kind. So clearly,
their genes (or upbringing?) are partially
"to blame" for me becoming
a biologist.
Besides being lucky enough to get to work with animals
and answer to my curiosities about them,
I´m also a mom to two lovely
and inquisitive girls.
When I am not spending my free time with my family
(basically before I had kids), my biggest
hobby is painting.... animals,
who would have
guessed ;-)
Education:
|
2015
2007 2004 |
PhD in Biology (sobresaliente cum laude)
Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain Funded by independently acquired, competitive fellowship (JAE-PREDOC) Thesis: Time dependent mating decisions in the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara MSc in Animal Biology Utrecht University, The Netherlands Major thesis: Visual perspective taking in Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) Minor thesis: Contact calls and their role in parrot flock cohesion BSc (Major in Science) University College Utrecht, Utrecht University, The Netherlands |
Previous experience:
|
2021 - 2023
2020 - 2021 2019 - 2020 2016 - 2019 2017 - 2018 (during above position) 2014 - 2015 2009 - 2013 2012 (during above position) 2007 –2008 2006 - 2007 (during MSc studies) 2005 -2006 (during MSc studies) |
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoc Fellow (European commission H2020-MSCA-IF-2020)
Department of Biology University of Padova, Padova, Italy Supervisor: Clelia Gasparini Seal of Excellence Research Fellow (MSCA Seal of Excellence@Unipd IF 2019) Department of Biology University of Padova, Padova, Italy Supervisor: Clelia Gasparini Career Break Maternity and parental leave 2nd child (1 year) Postdoctoral Researcher Animal Ecology group, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany PI: Jana A Eccard Career Break Maternity and parental leave 1st child (1 year) Research Technician Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE), Jaca, Spain Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) PI: Patrick S Fitze Doctoral Resaerch Fellow (JAE Predoctoral fellowship) National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Madrid, Spain Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) Supervisor: Patrick S Fitze Visiting Doctoral Student (JAE travel grant, 6 months) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Dartmouth College, Hanover, U.S.A. Supervisor: Ryan Calsbeek Career Break Work and travel outside of academia (New Zealand, Australia, South East Asia) Undergraduate Research Student (for MSc Minor thesis) Tambopata Macaw Project, Puerto Maldonado, Peru Undergraduate Research Student (for MSc Major thesis) Ethology Station for Primate Research, Utrecht University, The Netherlands |
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