Interdisciplinary research in the areas of landscape ecology, population geography and health geography
Human-Nature Interactions under Global Changes with challenges of climate change, urbanisation, landcover change and demographic change
Systemic approaches to analyse and understand (urban) landscapes
Health and Environmental Justice in the context of Global Change
Mapping and assessment of urban and peri-urban ecosystem services as nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation and mitigation
Application of innovative digital assessment methods combining secondary and site-specific data, modelling and simulation approaches
Assessment of interlinkages between urban landscapes, ecosystem services and health and well-being of city residents
Analysis of interactions between social, ecological, and technical components of urban ecosystems for identifying socio-environmental injustice
Transdisciplinary discussion processes for co-production of knowledge for sustainable urban and regional development

Curriculum vitae

Professional background
Since 2022: Professor for Digital Landscape Ecology at the Institute for Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology, Leibniz University Hannover

2017 - 2022: BMBF junior research group leader in the FONA programme ‘Global Change 4+1’ junior research group “GreenEquityHEALTH”, Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

2017 - 2022: Guest scientist Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ Leipzig Department Urban and Environmental Sociology

2019 - 2020: Guest Professorship Urban Ecology, Department of Ecology, Technical University Berlin

2014 - 2016: Postdoc /project coordinator “Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change in Urban Areas”, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv),

2011 - 2017: Postdoc, Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Postdoc in EU-research projects (FP7 GREENSURGE, BiodivERsA URBES)
Education
2011: PhD in Geography at the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in collaboration, Thesis title: Heterogeneous urban population development in Europe – Identification and modelling of driving forces on different spatial scales”
PhD student at the Helmholtz-Centre of Environmental Research-UFZ with the EU-FP6 research project PLUREL (www.plurel.net)
2006: Internship World-Health-Organisation (WHO), Department Housing and Development, Bonn, Germany
2005: Erasmus student Geography at the Université de La Réunion, France
2002-2007: Diploma in Geography, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
Memberships
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geographie (DGfG) & Verband für Geographie an deutschsprachigen Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen (VGDH)

AK Medizinische Geographie und Geographische Gesundheitsforschung

Interdisziplinäres Forum Neurourbanistik

Associate Editor Journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening

Associate Editor Journal of Urban Transformations

ESP - Ecosystem Services Partnership – Working group Equity

IAPS - International Association of People and Environment Studies

EKLIPSE Expert Group Project (EU, 2016-2017): Assessing the co-benefits of nature-based solutions

Member of ARL (Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association) - International working group "Urban Planning for Health Equity"(2022-2024)

Member of ERC Panel - Human Mobility, Environment and Space (SH7) ERC Consolidator Grants 2021
Awards and prizes
Highly Cited Researcher Powered by Web of Science 2023

Invitation as a Visiting Professor for the Ida Pfeiffer Professorship 2022/2023 of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy at the University of Vienna for the thematic areas anthroposphere or environment

Highly Cited Researcher Powered by Web of Science 2022

Highly Cited Researcher Powered by Web of Science 2021

Highly Cited Researcher Powered by Web of Science 2020

BMBF Young Research Group 2017-2022 under the Call “Global Change 4+1”

Shortlisted für Robert Bosch Junior Professorship 2017 - Nachhaltige Nutzung natürlicher Ressourcen

European Young Urban Forester of the Year 2014 (European Forum on Urban Forestry)