DiplBiol, DrRerNat, FHEA

2017 - present: Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the FBMH, University of Manchester, UK, working on "Coordination of microtubule dynamics during neuronal development and ageing", supported by The Leverhulme Trust

2014-2017: Postdoctoral Research Associate at the FBMH, University of Manchester, UK (Group of Prof. Andreas Prokop) studying microtubule regulation during the making and maintenance of axons

2007-2014: Ph.D. and postdoctoral studies at the Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Germany (Group of Prof. Michael Hoch).
Title of the doctoral thesis in Molecular Biomedicine:  "The Drosophila Arf GEF Steppke controls MAPK activation in EGFR signaling"

2001-2006: Biology studies at the University of Mainz, Germany

I’m interested in the growth and maintenance of neuronal axons, an upcoming area that is highly relevant in the context of neural development, regeneration, ageing and neurodegeneration. My ultimate aim is to understand how neurons translate external signals into morphogenetic changes. Particularly, I am interested in cellular switches that integrate input from signalling cascades into changes in cytoskeletal dynamics. Understanding how cytoskeletal regulators are regulated will provide important explanations for how signalling affects axonal regeneration and neuronal ageing.

Besides my research, I am very passionate about improving the support for research staff and to create a support network amongst researchers. To achieve this I represent FBMH researchers at the University Research Staff Strategy Group, I co-founded an initiative of faculty-wide social events for postdoctoral researchers and I initiated and led a team of Research Staff Reps from all three Faculties that organised the first Manchester Postdoc Appreciation Week in September 2019.