When did you feel mathematics was something you were really interested in?
- "This was a gradual process which started in high school."

Why do you find mathematics so interesting and fascinating?
- "I find it interesting because it is a kind of universal truth that you build from scratch. I also like the challenge of solving problems and the creative yet structured reasoning. In applied mathematics, it is always a joy to make the translation to a mathematical problem."

Did you have a role model within mathematics or science when you were young? Why did you choose her/him?
- "No, quite the opposite: from most mathematicians I met I was hoping I wouldn’t end up like him/her."

Do you have a role model or an idol today? Who? Why is she/he your role model/idol?
- "No."

How would you explain the core of mathematics?
- "Start with building a world: define the elements and basic assumptions (or axioms). Then pose an interesting question. Try to find the answer, formulate it as a theorem and prove it."

Your favorite book in mathematics?
- "Royall RM. Statistical Evidence: A Likelihood Paradigm. Chapman and Hall: London, 1997."

What are your expectations for the Sonja Kovalevsky days?
- "I hope it will show the wide range of mathematical disciplines, how mathematics can vary from very theoretical to very applied, from almost philosophical to down-to-earth computing."

What do you do in your spear time?
- "I take care of my family, play badminton and like theatre/movies and reading novels."