Cutting her research studying the brains of rodents and primates as a budding neuroscientist, Jovana Maksić has long held an interest in what makes cultures tick. Raised in Serbia and currently based in Berlin, she studied neuroscience in China, the USA, and Germany, gathering experience in cross-species brain research and conducting primatological fieldwork in the Caribbean.

Her research delves into the spectrum of the interplay between culture, cognition, and sociality, shedding light on the nuanced evolution of these aspects in our world. A connoisseur of music, a custodian of folklore, and an advocate for civic activism in the Western Balkans, Maksić maintains and moderates the Trust community, an experimental thinktank exploring collective ways of reading, writing, and researching.