Dr. Sofia Bouchebti
Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
My life before BGU:
I was born and grew up in Morocco. After high school, I moved to France to pursue university studies. I spent six months in England for my master’s research and one year in Brazil during my PhD to conduct field experiments. I then completed two postdocs in Israel (at the Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University), one short postdoc in Spain, and an even shorter one in Arizona.
Why BGU?
Since my first postdoc in Israel, it has become clear to me that Israel is one of the best countries for research. So, why BGU? The Marco and Louise Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology stands out for its amazing people and outstanding research!
My Research:
My research program addresses a crucial question in eco-physiology and sociobiology: How do environmental conditions shape social behavior? In my laboratory, we explore the connections between nutrition, climate, and social behavior. Specifically, we investigate how biotic factors (for example, nutrition) and abiotic factors (for example, climate) interact to influence life history traits and shape social behavior in a comparative approach, using the order Blattodea (cockroaches) as a model.
An insight from my research:
Cockroaches are fascinating animals that definitely don’t deserve their awful reputation!
Something that doesn't appear on my resume:
For my research, I spend a lot of time preparing diets for my insects, but I actually hate cooking!
A source of inspiration:
Koko the Gorilla. I studied animal behavior with the hope of meeting her one day, but unfortunately, that never happened.
When I grow up…
I always knew I wanted to work with animals. Given my strong aversion to blood, I quickly realized that becoming a vet was not an option. Zoology, however, became the perfect alternative for me.
If I wasn’t a researcher…
I would be a lawyer specializing in animal rights.
In Brief:
- Master chef or Kupa Rashit (Checkout)? I need to watch Kupa Rashit, I’m sure I’m going to love it!
- Pilates or spinning? No sports!
- Morning or night? Night, like my cockroaches
- Summer or winter? Winter
- Hapoel or Maccabi? No sports!
- Noa Kirel or Netta Barzilai? I don’t know either of them
- Steak or tofu? Tofu
- Instant coffee or espresso? Espresso (but instant is fine too)
- Trek or a spa? Trek
- Car or train? Train
- Classical Europe or India? Europe
- Sea or pool? Sea
- City or country? Country
- A movie at the cinema or a Netflix binge? Netflix binge
- Text or voice message? Text (or even better, email!)
- Dog or cat? I consider myself a dog person, but currently I have cats.
- Instagram or TikTok? Neither, I am not a big fan of social media
