Curriculum Vitae

• 04.04.1979 born in Bonn (Germany)
• Studies in Biology at: the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany, (1998 to 2004) and at the James Cook University, Townsville, Australia, with courses in: tropical rainforest ecology, rainforest population and communities, wildlife management, biogeography, marine ecosystems, animal behavior etc. (Feb. 2001 to Dec. 2001)
• Internship: since Dec. 2005 at the Max Planck Institute for evolutionary Anthropoly in Leipzig: preparing a publication of density data of Pan paniscus
• Project assistant: Dec. 2004 in a long-term project examining the climate change effect on vertebrate fauna in different altitudes in the wet tropics of North Australia lead by Prof. Dr. Craig Moritz (Berkeley University, California) and Dr. Stephen Williams (CRC Rainforest) and Jun. to Oct. 2005 focusing on the monitoring of nesting and hatching loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean.
• Diploma thesis: Examination of the density of the bonobo (Pan paniscus) including the comparison of different nest census methods and an ecological approach of the nest building behaviour in the Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo under the hospice of the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
• Scientific employments: Sep. 2003 to Feb. 2004 - Management of the research camp Lui Kotal of the MPI (Max Planck Institute) in the Salonga National Park, DRCongo; Mar. 2005 to May 2005 - field assistant in an avian risk assessment study in Great Britain, employed by Rifcon GmbH, on behalf of Bayer Crop Science AG; Jun. 2005 to Oct. 2005 - Public Awareness Leader for Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece; Jan. 2006 to Mar. 2006 - Graduate Assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropoly in Leipzig; Apr. 2006 to Jun. 2006 - field assistant at Rifcon GmbH for a risk assessment study in France; since Oct. 2006 - research assistant at the Biota W08, subproject Amphibians.

Current Research

• Phd on the influence of disturbances (e.g. unsustainable use and pesticides) on tadpole communities and the effects on the ecosystem, e.g. through higher abundance of mosquitos and therefore higher disease transmission rates.

Research Interests

• Ecology of West African Amphibians
• Tadpole community ecology
• Ecology of algae

Field Work

• Germany, Australia, East Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Great Britain, Greece, France, West Africa