Biography

Study of geology and palaeontology (minor chemistry and zoology) at the University of Greifswald, Germany

1998: Diploma at the University of Greifswald, Germany; Diploma thesis: “The holothurians (Echinodermata) of the White Chalk (Lower Maastrichtian), Isle of Rügen, Baltic Sea”

1998-1999: Alternative service at the Environmental Protection Agency Greifswald, Germany
Various contracts for work and labour at the Pomeranian State Museum Greifswald, the German Oceanographic Museum Stralsund, and the Chalk Museum Gummanz/Rügen (1999, 2002)

1999: DAAD scholar at the University of Innsbruck, Austria

2000: Pomeranian Science Award for the year 1999

1999-2001: Research associate (DFG) at the University of Greifswald, Germany

2002: Viva voce and conferral of a doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) at the University of Innsbruck, Austria; Doctoral thesis: “The Late Cretaceous holothurians (Echinodermata)” [summa cum laude]

2002-2003: Museum assistance (scientific voluntary service) at the Lower Saxon State Museum Hannover, Germany

2003-2004: Research associate (MWK Nds.) at the University of Göttingen, Germany

2004-2014: Curator and Assoc. Director of the Geoscience Museum Göttingen and lecturer/senior lecturer (Department of Geobiology) at the University of Göttingen, Germany

2006-2007: Deputyship of the (C4) professorship for palaeontology (J. Reitner) at the University of Göttingen, Germany

2007: Short term lecturer at the Northwest University Xi’an, P.R. of China

2008: Short term lecturer at the Northwest University Xi’an, P.R. of China

2009: Lecturer (delegated) at the Leibniz University Hannover, Germany

2010-2014: Co-coordinator of the long term project „Johann Friedrich Blumenbach – online“ of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences

2012: Short term lecturer at the Nanjing University, P.R. of China

2014: Habilitation at the University of Göttingen, Germany; Habilitation thesis: “Phanerozoic echinozoan echinoderms: Palaeobiology, phylogeny and evolutionary history”; venia legendi in palaeontology and geology

2014: Re-Higher doctorate (Umhabilitation) at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; venia legendi in palaeontology and historical geology

2014-2016: Research associate / Research Curator at the SNSB - Bavarian State Collection of Palaeontology and Geology Munich

Since 2016: Deputy Director of the SNSB - Bavarian State Collection of Palaeontology and Geology Munich

Since 2017: Senior Research Curator at the SNSB - Bavarian State Collection of Palaeontology and Geology, Munich

2018: Elected corresponding member of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences