Charissa de Bekker is an Associate Professor at the University of Utrecht specialised on environmental and molecular biology. Her research focuses on the manipulated behaviour of ants that are infected with fungal species of the genus Ophiocordyceps – the so-called ‘zombie ants’. She uses this fungus-insect interaction as a model system to study the fungal natural products involved in host manipulation and their effects on insect physiology and behavioural pathways. The overarching aim of this work is to elucidate how parasites can affect host behaviour, how behaviour is regulated and dysregulated at molecular levels, and which fungal proteins and secondary metabolites are involved.