My broad research interests are in the field of evolutionary ecology. In particular, I am interested in dispersal strategies and dispersal behaviours and how these are affected by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as population of origin and environmental conditions respectively.

During my Master thesis I focused on the effects of population origin and winter conditions on the dispersal behaviour of spiderlings of the orb-weaving spider Argiope bruennichi. Using a common garden experiment, spiderlings were overwintered in simulated winter conditions and I was able to show that dispersal propensity and behaviour are plastic. In addition to behavioural observations, I also investigated morphological traits of the spiderlings and the reproductive investment of females to understand the evolution of life history traits as well as ongoing phenotypic plasticity.

My current work integrates physiological approaches to gain insights into temperature adaptations in populations of Argiope bruennichi from the northern range limit. Spiderlings from Estonia are overwintered in different winter treatments which mimic what they would experience at their site of origin or elsewhere in the species distribution. Following this treatment, differences in survival rate of spiderlings and their fat content are examined. In addition to investigating cold tolerance strategies in this species, I also aim to determine the reproductive investment of females.