معرفی
Prof. Dr. Barbara Caspers is a Professor of Behavioral Ecology at Bielefeld University since 2020. She leads the Freigeist Fellow research group on olfactory kin recognition in songbirds (2014–2022) funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and serves as Director of the Joint Institute for Individualization in a Changing Environment (JICE) since 2021. Her affiliations include CRC-TRR 212 (Equal Opportunities Officer), the Ethological Society (Treasurer), and the University Council of Bielefeld University (since 2023).
Her research focuses on chemical communication, microbiota-host interactions, and individualization processes in changing environments. She combines field and laboratory studies to explore olfactory signaling in vertebrates, microbial influences on behavior, and the ecological implications of individualized niches. Her recent publications examine habitat-specific adaptations in fire salamander larvae, avian olfactory systems, and microbiome dynamics in wild species.
Scientific Awards
- College for Life Sciences Fellowship (2015)
- Freigeist Fellowship (2013)
- Niko Tinbergen Prize (2012)
She contributes to interdisciplinary projects like InChangE (spokesperson, 2021–present) and serves on editorial boards and committees for gender equality and academic student advising. Her work bridges behavioral ecology, microbiology, and evolutionary biology through empirical and theoretical frameworks.