She is fascinated by the polar regions, having worked in Antarctic waters between 1996 and 2001 and in the Arctic since 2002. So far, she has participated in about 22 research cruises to the Antarctic, the Arctic and the Deep-Sea. Her background is in benthic ecology, especially trophic interactions and food web studies. Dr. Iken will be part of the epibenthic and food web team on board the Khromov (with Dr. Bluhm and her student Bell) and within the RUSALCA project. She will collect benthic and pelagic invertebrates and study how they form the food web and how this differs across different regions of the study area.