Curriculum Vitae

Born in southern Germany in 1971, I obtained a Magister Artium degree in 'Applied Cultural Sciences' (1st Major: Ecology & Environmental Education; 2nd Major: Economic and Social Geography) at the Leuphana University Lüneburg in summer 1999. At the same place, I also defended my PhD thesis on selected taxonomic aspects of Palaearctic Pipunculidae in 2009. After University, I first lived and worked in San Sebastián (Spanish Basque Country), following my entomological interests at the Scientific Society Aranzadi, before moving back to Germany beginning of 2001.

After my return, I started working at the Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Museum of Zoology, first as a Scientific Trainee in the Diptera Section of the Entomological Department (Oct. 2001 - Oct. 2004) and later as a member of staff in the molecular laboratory (Dec. 2005 - present). Apart from a general interest in living organisms, my scientific interest is currently focused on three families of Diptera, namely Pipunculidae, Vermileonidae and Acroceridae.

Next to faunistic activities, present taxonomic research deals with an integrative approach towards Palaearctic and Oriental Pipunculidae as well as the vemileonid genus Vermileo and the acrocerid genera Opsebius and Cyrtus, combining morphological with molecular and ecological information, in order to solve some of the existing taxonomic problems within these groups. Another focal point are associations between Pipunculidae and their larval hosts as well as their larval morphology. I hope you find my pages useful and don't hesitate to contact me in case you need any reprints of my papers or if any other question comes up.