Stefanie Gierszewski, PhD candidate
Institute of Biology
Research Group Ecology & Behavioral Biology
University of Siegen
Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2
57068 Siegen, Germany
Info
I am a PhD candidate at University of Siegen where I can live out my passion for fish behaviour by studying mate choice copying in the livebearing sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). Before starting my PhD, I spent my time training Malawi cichlids in visual discrimination tasks for gaining my diploma at University of Bonn.
I like capturing animals and people with my camera and have a secret love for computer games which makes my PhD even more fascinating.
Work experience with computer animated stimuli
PhD Research. University of Siegen, Germany.
2014 - present
I am part of an interdisciplinary research group of computer scientists and biologists funded by the DFG. The project aims to get a closer understanding of mate choice decisions with the main focus on mate choice copying in the sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). The enormous changeability of virtual animal models makes it possible to alter information content in any order. Manipulating visual traits and behavioral patterns is a powerful tool to get further information on the critical characteristics of being an attractive mating partner. With the help of computer animations I try to find the information responsible for initiating mate choice copying.
Diploma. University of Bonn, Germany.
2011 - 2012
During my diploma studies at University of Bonn, I trained Malawi cichlids in visual discrimination and matching-to-sample tasks. I used Microsoft Powerpoint and a projector for creation and presentation of geometrical stimuli during experiments providing an automated and standardized procedure.
Contact
gierszewski{a}chemie-bio.uni-siegen.de
