Education
1989
Diploma Chemistry; University of Basel, Switzerland
1994
Ph.D., M.A. Organic Chemistry; University of Basel, Switzerland
2010
Master of Management, Malik MZSG, St. Gallen, Switzerland 
Professional experience
1990-1994
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland, Department of Chemistry. 
Expertise: Synthetic bio-organic Chemistry
1995-1997
Post-Doctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (MA), USA. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. 
Expertise: Environmental Chemistry/Chemodynamics
1998
Research Associate, Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG), Dübendorf, Switzerland. Department of Microbiology. 
Expertise: Environmental Microbiology/Chemistry
1999-2004
Senior Research Associate, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne; Laboratory of Soil Science. 
Expertise: Soil Microbiology; Pollutant bioavailability.
since 2004
Head of Group, Deputy of the Head of Department, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ; Department of Environmental Microbiology. Member of the Scientific and Technical Council of the UFZ.