Hi, I'm Hannah. I'm a neuroscientist interested in understanding (neural) mechanisms underlying animal behavior. If I'm not in the lab or analyzing data, I like to sew or observe animals. Originally I'm from Germany, but currently I live near Washington DC in the US.
My scientific interest in centered around understanding how the environment and past experiences shape animal behavior. I'm currently working as postdoctoral associate in Vivek Jayaraman's lab at Janelia. In Vivek's lab I investigate neural mechanisms that help flies orient in dynamic, naturalistic environments. To do this, I combine 2-photon calcium imaging and virtual reality. In collaboration with Dennis Goldschmidt from Carlos Ribeiro's lab I further study navigational strategies that allow flies to balance exploration and exploitation in the context of foraging. Previous research projects involved various aspects of navigation in adult and larval fruit flies and crickets.
I greatly enjoy designing and sewing quilts, clothes and other objects made from fabric. I learned how to sew from my mother and grandmother and many of my favorite childhood memories evolve around this activity. These days sewing serves as a compensatory activity to research — as a creative outlet and by making me feel productive.