Hi, Dan! Since you have been the lab manager since the lab opened, can you explain what role you played in the founding of COBE Lab?

When I got involved, others had already come up with the vision of a shared behavioral lab at Aarhus BSS, and the faculty management had secured funding for establishing the lab and funding the operations for a period of five years. At this point there were lots of ideas and wishes, but no detailed plans, and I was asked to be in charge of establishing the lab as part of my position as Assistant Professor. It was fantastic and a little nerve wrecking to finally open COBE Lab in August 2013 after almost of year of planning, procuring, constructing, and organising.

What research are you involved in this December?

I’ve mainly tried to gather data for some projects that involve experiments in the computer lab. Some of these have run for a long time, and it will be great to get the last data for the analyses.

What is the weirdest email you have received in your capacity as lab manager?

I’ve seen some pretty strange requests, and some of them are unfit for this interview! While probably not the weirdest, we once had some researchers who used our equipment to enrich the lives of orangutans in a zoo. That resulted in some pretty weird emails, such as “we’re sorry to inform you that the orangutan destroyed the power supply.”

Now to the hard questions. What gets you in the Christmas spirit? 

Buying presents for my family. I usually do this on December 23^rd, but this year I’m early and bought the first one already. A mix of red and green chiles on my burrito is also a perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit!

What Christmas present would you wish for for the lab?

My wish is that all researchers get wonderful data from their experiments.

What is the funniest anagram you can make out of the words MERRY CHRISTMAS? (You don’t have to use every single letter)

This is tough! I had to cheat and use an online anagram generator. I’m not sure it’s very funny, but the best one I found is myrrhic streams.  I think it would be a great title for a novel.

Is it true there is a secret room with a bean bag chair somewhere in the lab, which can be accessed without a key? 

No comment.

Can you confirm the ongoing rumours that COBE Lab’s assistant lab manager is the real brains behind the operation?

That is absolutely true! I pride myself in hiring the right people, and for most of the time it was evident from the surname of the assistant lab manager.

What are you getting your assistant lab manager for Christmas? 

I’ve left a present for her somewhere in the lab, and I’m just waiting for her to find it, but I can’t reveal what or where it is. 

What’s your positive Christmas message to all of COBE Lab’s associated researchers?

I look forward to the interesting research I know you will be doing in the lab and elsewhere in the coming year. It’s a privilege to have so many talented and inspiring colleagues. As researchers we have a special obligation to search for truth and use our knowledge to help our fellow humans and indeed the whole planet.

Merry Christmas and a happy holiday to all!