September 17, 2021 | News | Welcome to the MPIDR

Asli Ebru Sanlituerk is a new Researcher at the Laboratory of Digital and Computational Demography

© MPIDR

Coming from Bocconi University in Milan, Asli Ebru Sanlituerk is a new Researcher in the Laboratory of Digital and Computational Demography. She is researching how digital trace data can be used to better analyze mobility and migration. She is also a big volleyball fan.

What question drives you most in your research?

The digital traces that we leave behind as a result of the ever-growing use of smartphones and internet technologies is what I find most inspiring in research. I guess, as a question I would say, “how can I interpret these new digital trace data?” drives me the most. My main area of focus is migration and mobility and I also try to contribute to gender studies. In my opinion, analyzing digital data to understand better the migration patterns, migrant populations’ behavior patterns and gender inequalities is a fascinating experience.

What are you particularly looking forward to as you start working at MPIDR?

I am looking forward to working with my colleagues in the Digital and Computational Demography Laboratory and getting to know colleagues in other departments, hopefully in person. An interactive office environment is something we all missed in the last year, I hope we can go back to that when the pandemic regulations allow for it.

What do you like most about Rostock?

I was a guest PhD student at MPIDR in the first half of 2020. I guess right now, seeing the shops, cafes and restaurants open and seeing people enjoying the last days of summer is what I like the most, because it is quite different than my brief Rostock experience last year. But generally speaking, I like how bike-friendly Rostock is and am looking forward to having my own bike soon.

What are you obsessed with at the moment besides demography?

I love volleyball, and even though I don’t play anymore, I always try to follow current tournaments and games. Last year's international games could not take place and therefore this year’s schedule was quite intense for all sports fans. I guess, I spent the last couple of months watching volleyball games and of course also the Olympic Games.

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. It's part of the Max Planck Society, the internationally renowned German research society.