Professor Monika Hilker is a distinguished faculty member at Freie Universität Berlin, where she serves as Head of the Department of Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology within the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy. She is also the speaker and director of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 973 "Priming and Memory of Organismic Responses to Stress". Her research group is affiliated with the Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, one of the research focus areas of Freie Universität Berlin. Prof. Hilker's research centers on the Chemical and Molecular Ecology of Plant-Insect Interactions. Her team investigates the infochemical web in tri- and multitrophic systems by studying the mechanisms and functions of chemical communication between plants, herbivorous insects, predatory and parasitic insects. They employ chemical and molecular techniques alongside modern behavioral assays to identify infochemicals involved in multitrophic interactions, study their biological activities, and investigate their biogenesis. Current research projects focus on plant responses to insect egg deposition, the molecular ecology of insect eggs, defense mechanisms of insect eggs against pathogens and parasitoids, and plant defense against herbivores primed by egg deposition. Prof. Hilker's publication record demonstrates consistent research productivity with numerous high-impact publications spanning several decades. Her recent work (2021-2025) shows a strong focus on plant defense mechanisms triggered by insect egg deposition, molecular signaling pathways, and multitrophic interactions. The research spans diverse plant systems including pine trees, Arabidopsis, elm trees, and grassland species, examining how plants respond to various stressors including insect herbivory, drought, and egg deposition. Her scientific contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards including the Silverstein-Simeone Award for work at the frontiers of chemical ecology. She previously served as President (2010-2011) and Vice-president (2009-2010) of the International Society of Chemical Ecology and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of World Wildlife Fund, Germany. Prof. Hilker actively mentors students and researchers, with several PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in her group. She teaches courses in Biology of Insects, Molecular and Chemical Ecology of Plant-Animal Interactions, and Scientific Writing. Her research has significant implications for understanding the evolution of complex organismic interactions and may contribute to biological control strategies for forest and agricultural pest insects.
