CV

ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2021 - 24     Post-doctoral Fellow
  Ghent University, ​Dept. Biology, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Lab (Ghent, Belgium).
  Faculty Advisor: Matthew Shawkey​

2019 - 20     Post-doctoral Fellow (visiting)
  Macquarie University, ​Dept. Biological Sciences (Sydney, Australia).
  Faculty Advisor: Martin Whiting

2018 - 21     Post-doctoral Fellow
  University of Antwerp, Dept. Biology, Functional Morphology Lab, (Wilrijk, Belgium).
  Faculty Advisor: Raoul van Damme
 
2017 - 18     Post-doctoral Fellow
  Harvard University, Dept. Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, (Cambridge, MA, USA).
  Faculty Advisors: Jonathan B. Losos and Duncan J. Irschick (UMass, Amherst)
 
EDUCATION
2017            Ph.D. in Biology, University of Antwerp (Belgium).
  Dissertation: On the evolution of chemical communication in lizards.
  Faculty Advisors: Raoul Van Damme and Katleen Huyghe
 
2012            MSc. in Behaviour and Evolutionary Biology, University of Antwerp (Belgium).
  Thesis: The link between immunity and body colouration in lacertid lizards.
  Faculty Advisor: Raoul Van Damme
 
2010            BSc. in Biology, University of Antwerp (Belgium).

TEACHING
Lecturer
  Herpetology. University of Antwerp (Belgium). ± 20 students (2021)
  Diversity of Animals. University of Antwerp (Belgium). ± 50 students (2018-19), excellent CIKO score (5.4)
 
Teaching Assistant
  Responsibilities included leading section discussions; supervising labs; grading assignments; and meeting with students individually.
  • Zoology. University of Antwerp (Belgium). ± 60 students (2012-15)
  • Island Biology. (incl. fieldtrip to Croatia). University of Antwerp (Belgium). ± 25 students (2012-18, 2021)
 
Ombudsperson
  ​For Master students in Biology. University of Antwerp (Belgium) (2015-17; 2018-19)
 
Masters Students Supervised, University of Antwerp and Free University Brussels (Belgium).
  Supervised 17 Masters’ students.

GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS & HONORS
Research projects
  ​Young Researcher Grant for Interuniversity Initiatives (€4,000). University of Antwerp, 2021
  ​BOF-DOCPRO4 (€205,000) as co-PI (PI: Van Damme): Evolution of cognition and personality in island lizards, 2019
  ​Early Career Grant ($3,823). National Geographic Society (NGS), 2018

Fellowships
  ​Senior Postdoctoral fellowship, Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), 2021-2024
  ​Junior Postdoctoral fellowship, Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), 2018-2021
  ​Postdoctoral fellowship, Belgian American Education Foundation (BAEF), 2017-2018

Awards
  ​Award of the Research Board – Award Verbeure: Applied & Exact Sciences (€5,000), University of Antwerp, 2021
  ​International Research Visit Abroad (€19,800). Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), 2019-2020
  ​Travel Award (€500). The Royal Belgian Zoological Society (RBZS), 2019
  ​Travel Award (€2,000). Leopold III fund for Nature Exploration and Conservation, 2019
  ​Postdoctoral Award for Professional Development ($600). Harvard University, 2018
  ​Carl Gans Conference Award ($1,200). Gans Collections and Charitable Fund, 2018
  ​Barbour Grant ($2,000). Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, 2018
  ​Young Researcher Travelling Grant (€1,138). University of Antwerp Doctoral School, 2018
  ​Travelling Fellowship (€1,600). The Company of Biologists, 2017
  ​Young Researcher Travelling Grant (€1,050). University of Antwerp Doctoral School, 2015
​
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Editor for :  
Reviewer for over 54 journals with 100 verified reviews. Awarded Top 1% Peer Reviewer in 2018 (Publons)
 
Professional memberships
  • British Ecological Society (BES)
  • European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB)
  • Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE)
  • Societas Herpetologica Italica (SHI)
  • Society of Experimental Biology (SEB)
  • The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH)
  • The Royal Belgian Society (BZS).​