ABOUT ME
I'm a geochemist with focus on experiments and light stable isotopes. I experimentally investigate isotope fractionation mechanisms, which help us to understand isotope ratios observed in nature such as measured in rocks, volcanic exhaust, minerals, or planetary atmospheres. My research is mostly experimental, but also includes geological fieldwork, and geochemical analyses of natural samples.
At present, I am a senior researcher in the Climate Geology Group at the ETH Earth Science Department in Zurich, Switzerland. Previously, I was a Carnegie postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory in Washington D.C. I completed my PhD at the experimental petrology group of Prof. Max Schmidt at ETH Zurich (Switzerland). |
Education
Nov 2013 – Jan 2019 Doctorate at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Advisors: Max W. Schmidt, Marvin D. Lilley, Stefano M. Bernasconi
Thesis “Experimental investigation of high temperature carbon isotope fractionation”.
Defended Oct 2018
Sep 2010 – Sep 2013 MSc Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Major in Geochemistry and Mineralogy
Advisor: Thomas Driesner
Thesis: “Kalimantan Diamonds: Constraints on primary sources, transportation history and placer
deposit formation with implications for diamond exploration in orogenic belts”
Sep 2007 – Sep 2010 BSc Geociences at University of Kiel, Germany
Major in Petrology & Geomaterials
Advisor: Volker Schenk, Ralf Halama
Thesis: “Peridotites and magmatites associated with the Cretaceous subduction complexes of
Southeast Kalimantan and South Sulawesi, Indonesia” (in German)
Research experience
Oct. 2022 - ongoing Senior researcher/Lecturer in the Geological Institute - Earth Science Department at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
Jan. 2022 - Sept. 2022 Postdoc in the Geological Institute - Earth Science Department at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
Sept. 2019 – Jan. 2022 Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of
Science in Washington D.C., USA.
Jan. 2019 – Apr. 2019 Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich (Switzerland).
Nov. 2013 – Oct. 2018 Doctoral student and research and teaching assistant at the Institute of Geochemistry and
Petrology at ETH Zürich (Switzerland)
Lab-Manager of the externally heated pressure vessel (Cold Seal) laboratory.
Nov. 2010 – Aug. 2013 Research assistant at the Institute of Petrology and Geochemistry, ETH Zürich (Switzerland).
2008 – 2010 Laboratory assistant at the Institute for Geoscience ((experimental) Petrology, Geochemisty
divisions) at the University of Kiel (Germany)
Academic Awards
2023 ETH Career Seed Grant
2020 Carnegie Canada Research grant supporting collaborative research with Canadian Research
Institutions
2019 Carnegie 3x5 Seed grant for exploratory studies on D/H fractionation
2019 Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Earth and Planets Laboratory of the Carnegie
Institution for Science in Washington D.C. USA.
2017 Best poster award at Lake Como School of Advanced Studies: Carbon Forms, Paths and
Processes in the Earth, Italy
2013 ETH student travel grant in support of a self-proposed MSc thesis related fieldwork
Review activity
Geology, Lithos, Nature Communications, Diamond and related materials, Global and Planetary Change,
European Journal of Mineralogy, Resource Geology, Chemical Geology, American Mineralogist,
French National Research Agency, EGUsphere
Community activity
2020 - 2021 Representative for the Carnegie Postdoctoral Association (CIPA)
2019 , 2021 AGU Outstanding poster award (OSPA) judge
2012-2017 Society of Economic Geology (SEG) ETH Zurich student chapter (2012-2017, two years as
committee member): Organization of talks, excursions and other activities
2016 Assisting the organization for the XV EMPG conference in Zurich (Switzerland)
2012 Assisting the organization for the XIV EMPG conference in Kiel (Germany)
Outreach
Nov 2018 Article ETH ambassador blog: “Geological Intermezzo in Colombia”
Mar 2018 Museum FocusTerra at ETH Zurich “Meet a scientist”: Introduction to mineral identification and
lava melting experiments for middle-school students
Feb 2016 “Treasures from the Earth’s mantle” Photo and text collage on the origin of diamonds (Polykum)
2007 – 2010 Organization of (1) public geological excursions and educational fossil-hunting trips to
geological sites in northern Germany and (2) fossil prepping courses as part of the
Geostepbystep Society Kiel, including regular representation at the Hamburg Minerals Fair.
Nov 2013 – Jan 2019 Doctorate at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Advisors: Max W. Schmidt, Marvin D. Lilley, Stefano M. Bernasconi
Thesis “Experimental investigation of high temperature carbon isotope fractionation”.
Defended Oct 2018
Sep 2010 – Sep 2013 MSc Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Major in Geochemistry and Mineralogy
Advisor: Thomas Driesner
Thesis: “Kalimantan Diamonds: Constraints on primary sources, transportation history and placer
deposit formation with implications for diamond exploration in orogenic belts”
Sep 2007 – Sep 2010 BSc Geociences at University of Kiel, Germany
Major in Petrology & Geomaterials
Advisor: Volker Schenk, Ralf Halama
Thesis: “Peridotites and magmatites associated with the Cretaceous subduction complexes of
Southeast Kalimantan and South Sulawesi, Indonesia” (in German)
Research experience
Oct. 2022 - ongoing Senior researcher/Lecturer in the Geological Institute - Earth Science Department at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
Jan. 2022 - Sept. 2022 Postdoc in the Geological Institute - Earth Science Department at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
Sept. 2019 – Jan. 2022 Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of
Science in Washington D.C., USA.
Jan. 2019 – Apr. 2019 Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich (Switzerland).
Nov. 2013 – Oct. 2018 Doctoral student and research and teaching assistant at the Institute of Geochemistry and
Petrology at ETH Zürich (Switzerland)
Lab-Manager of the externally heated pressure vessel (Cold Seal) laboratory.
Nov. 2010 – Aug. 2013 Research assistant at the Institute of Petrology and Geochemistry, ETH Zürich (Switzerland).
2008 – 2010 Laboratory assistant at the Institute for Geoscience ((experimental) Petrology, Geochemisty
divisions) at the University of Kiel (Germany)
Academic Awards
2023 ETH Career Seed Grant
2020 Carnegie Canada Research grant supporting collaborative research with Canadian Research
Institutions
2019 Carnegie 3x5 Seed grant for exploratory studies on D/H fractionation
2019 Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Earth and Planets Laboratory of the Carnegie
Institution for Science in Washington D.C. USA.
2017 Best poster award at Lake Como School of Advanced Studies: Carbon Forms, Paths and
Processes in the Earth, Italy
2013 ETH student travel grant in support of a self-proposed MSc thesis related fieldwork
Review activity
Geology, Lithos, Nature Communications, Diamond and related materials, Global and Planetary Change,
European Journal of Mineralogy, Resource Geology, Chemical Geology, American Mineralogist,
French National Research Agency, EGUsphere
Community activity
2020 - 2021 Representative for the Carnegie Postdoctoral Association (CIPA)
2019 , 2021 AGU Outstanding poster award (OSPA) judge
2012-2017 Society of Economic Geology (SEG) ETH Zurich student chapter (2012-2017, two years as
committee member): Organization of talks, excursions and other activities
2016 Assisting the organization for the XV EMPG conference in Zurich (Switzerland)
2012 Assisting the organization for the XIV EMPG conference in Kiel (Germany)
Outreach
Nov 2018 Article ETH ambassador blog: “Geological Intermezzo in Colombia”
Mar 2018 Museum FocusTerra at ETH Zurich “Meet a scientist”: Introduction to mineral identification and
lava melting experiments for middle-school students
Feb 2016 “Treasures from the Earth’s mantle” Photo and text collage on the origin of diamonds (Polykum)
2007 – 2010 Organization of (1) public geological excursions and educational fossil-hunting trips to
geological sites in northern Germany and (2) fossil prepping courses as part of the
Geostepbystep Society Kiel, including regular representation at the Hamburg Minerals Fair.