RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND EMPLOYMENT
since 01/2011 Julius Kuehn Institute, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Messeweg 11-12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany
Scientific Director (‘Wissenschaftlicher Direktor’) and Head of National Reference Laboratory for Plant Virus Diagnostics. Monitoring of viral diseases; isolation and characterisation of plant viruses; molecular, cytological and morphological analysis of infected plants; development of detection methods and diagnostic protocols; production of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies for virus detection. Analysis of plant-virus-vector relationships. Evaluation of pest risks and phytosanitary measures.
10/2009-10/2010 Cornell University, Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, 334 Plant Science Bldg., Ithaca, NY14853, USA
Postdoctoral Research Associate. Investigating aphid transmission mechanisms of plant viruses.
10/2006 – 09/2009 University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
Research Fellow (Trinity Hall, Cambridge, UK). Investigating the interactions of plant viruses, their hosts and their aphid vectors.
EDUCATION
04/2003 – 10/2007 University of Cambridge, UK
PhD. “Investigating the mechanism(s) underlying cross-protection of cucumber mosaic virus strains“.
10/1997 – 03/2003 Universität Hannover, Germany
Diplom Gartenbau (equivalent to a British MSc in Horticulture). Thesis: “Investigations on infectiousness and spread of a Plum pox virus chimera”.
10/1995 – 07/1997 Wichmann Orchideen KG, Celle, Germany
Horticultural apprenticeship (Two-year vocational training in orchid cultivation).
