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I received my PhD in Biological Sciences from Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC in 2023, where I worked in chemical ecology under the guidance of Dr. Gerhard Gries. I completed a Master of Pest Management (MPM) at the same time in the same lab. I also hold a master's-equivalent degree in Chemistry and Biology from Ulm University, Germany (2016).
Prior to joining Laurier, I was an Assistant Professor at the Zoological Institute and Museum of the University of Greifswald in Germany (2023-2026).
I study how animals communicate with chemicals, and how chemical pollution disrupts pheromonal signals. I mainly work with spiders, whose silk emits pheromones but also traps pollutants, which allows us to study signals and their disruption. If animals cannot communicate, they are unlikely to reproduce, which can lead to local extinctions and thus contribute to the biodiversity crisis we observe, particularly in cities.
My research also investigates how to control unwanted animals, such as certain spiders, with the goal of reducing our reliance on broad-spectrum pesticides and thus maintaining sustainable ecosystems.
I have research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students interested in animal behavior, ecology and pest management. Simply contact me and let's chat!
- Talukder, M.B., C.H.G. Müller, A. Fischer, V. Mahimkar, J. O. Wolff, G. B. Uhl. 2025. The chemosensory toolkit of a cursorial spider. Communications Biology, 8:1733, doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-09127-z
- Fischer, A., A. J. Fischer, R. Gries, E. Hung, K. Lau, A. Monfared, G. Gries. 2025. Identification and seasonal abundance of web- and air-borne sex pheromone components of western black widow spiders, Latrodectus hesperus.
- Fischer, A., R. Gries, C.A. Roman-Torres, A. Divereddy, G. Gries. 2025. Glandular quinoline-derivates protect crustacean woodlice from predation. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 22, 20250260, doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2025.0260
- Fischer, A., N. De Vita, S. Phillips Sproule, G. Gries. 2024. Starving infecund widow spiders maintain sexual attractiveness and trade off safety for enhanced prey capture. iScience, 27:110722, doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110722
- Fischer, A., Y. Fernando, A. Preston, S. Moniz-de-Sa, G. Gries. 2023. Widow spiders alter web-architecture and -attractiveness in response to same-sex competition for prey and mates and predation risk. Communications Biology, 6:1028, doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05392-y
- Fischer, A., C. Torres, J. Vurdela, Y. Lee, N. Bahar, R. Gries, S. Alamsetti, H. Chen, G. Gries. 2023. Non-targeted metabolomics aids in sex pheromone identification – a proof-of-concept study with the triangulate cobweb spider Steatoda triangulosa. Scientific Reports, 13:18426, doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44948-0
- Fischer, A., R. Gries, S.K. Alamsetti, E. Hung, A.C. Roman-Torres, S. Fernando, S. Meraj, W. Ren, R. Britton, G. Gries. 2022. Origin, structure, and functional transition of contact pheromone components to volatile male attractant pheromone components in a widow spider. Communications Biology, 5:1156, doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-04072-7
- Fischer, A., Y. Lee, T. Dong, G. Gries. 2021. Know your foe – Synanthropic spiders are deterred by chemicals of European fire ants. Royal Society Open Science, 8:210279, doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210279
- Fischer, A., X. H. Goh, J.-L. S. Varney, A. J. Blake, S. Takács, G. Gries. 2020. Multimodal and multifunctional signaling? – Web reduction courtship behavior in a North American population of the false black widow spider. PLoS ONE, 15:e0228988, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228988
- Fischer, A. 2019. Chemical communication in spiders – a methodological review. Journal of Arachnology, 47:1-27, doi.org/10.1636/0161-8202-47.1.1
- BI300 Environmental toxicology
- BI308 Behavioural ecology
- BI407 Animal communication
Contact Info:
Office location: BA406
Office hours:
By appointment.
Languages spoken: English, German
Personal website: animal-metabolomics.com