What are your hobbies?
I like hiking, biking, going to movies and plays.

What was the last book you read?
It was probably the Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, this was quite a while ago!

Do you have any heroes, heroines or role models? 
I have numerous role models and look to different individuals as archetypes for different things. For example, I might choose to emulate a peer because I admire the way they balance their personal and professional life or a senior scientist because of their research vision.

What is it that keeps you working hard and studying science every day?
I enjoy learning new things! I like making discoveries and identifying novel scientific insights. This is the driving force for much of what I do. In addition, I get a lot of satisfaction from working with students and being able to guide them as they pursue their own scientific careers.