As a mineralogist graduated in the field of petrology I am generally interested in the stability, phase relations, crystal chemistry and crystal physics of the Earth’s material.
 My research falls into four main areas: (i) Experiments to study the geologically important phase relations as a function of P, T and fO2 (ii) Experimental equilibrium studies of coexisting minerals and/or minerals plus fluids in order to extract thermodynamic data, especially for solid solutions. (iii) Crystal chemistry and crystal physics of natural and synthetic minerals determined using various spectroscopic methods (FTIR-, Raman-, Mössbauer-, UV-Vis-, Diffuse Reflectance) and X-ray powder methods (Rietveld refinements).(iv) In-situ experiments on minerals using IR- and Raman-spectroscopy as well as X-ray diffraction in order to understand the response of their structures to changes in temperature and pressure.

• Structure and crystal-chemistry of superhydrous phase B, pyroxene, spinel solid solutions, natural and synthetic ringwoodite, Fe-Mg spinelloid.
• Kinetics and mechanisms of phase transitions, e.g. the coesite-quartz transformation as a function of intrinsic OH.
• Location (FTIR) and quantitative analysis (SIMS, FTIR) of OH in nominally anhydrous minerals, e.g. coesite, stishovite, olivine, wadsleyite, ringwoodite.
• In-situ observations of the dehydration of OH-bearing minerals.
• Pressure-induced phase transitions in pyroxene, garnet, anorthite, ringwoodite.

• 1983-1985 Freie Universität Berlin - Research Scholarship, Richard-Winter-Foundation, Köln
• 1984-1985 Volkshochschulen Schöneberg/Steglitz, Berlin - Lecturer in Mineralogy
• 1990-1996 Technische Universität Berlin - Assistant Professor (C1 Position)
• 1996-1997 Technische Universität Belin - Scholarship Holder (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
• 1998-1999 German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) - Scientific Co-Worker
• 2000-2001 Geophysical Laboratory, Washington DC - Postdoctoral Research Associate
• since 2001 German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) - Senior Scientist

Scientific Committees

• 2007-2010 Secretary and Program Chair for Mineralogy within the European Geoscience Union (EGU)
• 2008 Member of the Board Review of the Austrian Science Foundation
• 2009-2011 Head of the Organisation Committee of the ECMS2011 Conference in Potsdam, Germany
• 2010-2013 Member of the MSA distinguished lecture committee
• 2011 Guest editor of the European Journal of Mineralogy
• 2011-2015 Member of the IMA Medal Committee
• 2012-2015 Member of the Board Review of the German Science Foundation (DFG) in FK 316: Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Crystallography
• 2012 Member of the Board of Trustees of the "Irmgard and Michael Abs-Foundation"
• 2013-2015 Advisory Board of the Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft

Appointed as Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America, 2012

2006  Appointed to Adjunct Professor (apl) in Mineralogy at the Technische Universität Berlin for excellence in teaching and research, 2006

Appointed to Associate Professsor at Technische Universität Berlin, 1998  

Fellowship of the Richard-Winter Foundation, 1984 - 1985