Currently Reading: Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and Its Place in Western Civilization by Paul Kindstedt
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Hey there! I’m Danny,
a post-doctoral researcher who loves blending science, coding, and creativity. I finished my PhD at the University of Edinburgh (you can check it out here!) and now, I’m diving into new research at the Medical School Berlin with Melanie Stefan. I’m all about learning and growing, and sharing my journey along the way.
I grew up in Vienna, Austria, but thanks to my American mum, I’ve always been fluent in English and German. In 2011, I made the leap to Scotland to study Biomedical Science at Aberdeen University. After graduating with my honours degree and integrated masters (MSci), I moved to Edinburgh to kick off my PhD, focusing on anxiety using a prenatal stress rat model. Through the course of my PhD I surprised myself and everyone around me when I really fell in love with coding.
Right now, I’m:
- Focussing on my three passions:
- Passionate about making science open and accessible, working on projects aimed at fixing some of the problems in scientific publishing (more on that here)
- Looking at depression through an evolutionary lens (read more here)
- Involved in a number of educational projects (check it out here)
When I’m not deep in research, I love teaching and sharing knowledge. I’m contributing to the design of a course on the scientific process at the Medical School, as well as contributing to teaching (at least that’s the plan), and I’m developing a cool interactive Shiny app to go along with a video textbook (thoughts on that here). I also get to co-supervise one of our amazing PhD students!
But it’s not all science!
I also have a few personal projects that keep me busy:
- AURICLE: My earring business, inspired by powerful women. I also donate earrings to survivors of sexual violence.
- Dogs of Harrison Park Calendar: Since 2017, I’ve organized a charity calendar supporting the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. I’m expanding this idea to help other communities raise money too.
- Lectures at Lunch: Organizing virtual lunch talks for women across different fields, which is a great way to connect and share experiences.
When I’m not working, I’m probably:
- Out on adventures with my two dogs, Sid and Harry, exploring beautiful Scotland.
- Buried in a good book (mostly fantasy—here’s what I’m reading now).
- Collecting quirky salt and pepper shakers, because why not?
- Engrossed in a new creative hobby - crochet, lino cutting/ printing, watercolour, embroidery, … (not that I’m particularly good at any of these things, but that’s not the point) or experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen!