Prof. Dr. Kathrin Dausmann

Kathrin decided at a young age on a family trip to Greece that she wanted to become an ant researcher, which she thought was much more fascinating than looking at any more ancient rubble. However, something went wrong somewhere along the line and she became intrigued with energetics and how animals are able to make a living on the edge and adapt to all kinds of environmental changes. Kathrin is now a professor for Functional Ecology, focusing on ecology and energy budgets in a changing world mostly in small mammals, but also frogs, lizards and birds (not ants, so far). An almost accidental trip to Madagascar sparked her fascination for this country and she has spent a lot of time in tents and hammocks in the forests of Madagascar, chasing down friendly lemurs. Kathrin still looks at every ant she sees and continues to be fascinated by them.