I am a linguist with a specialization in Formal Semantics. I have always had close ties to philosophy as well, most recently as a Leverhulme Visiting Professor in Philosophy at University College London and as the 2022 John Locke lecturer at the University of Oxford. During my time in Berlin, I will be pursuing a joint project with Jonathan Phillips on ‘Decomposing Modal Thought’, which aims at creating a platform for a common language about modality for researchers across disciplines, including linguists, philosophers, developmental psychologists, modal logicians, and specialists in comparative cognition.