I did not know it when I first came here, but Jena became the epicenter of my science. I did my studies, PhD, and postdoc in this vibrant city of science. After my PhD in bioinformatics, I left Jena to work at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, WA, USA. Soon after, I led my first project, working on dynamic models of gliomas. I finally found my way to the Leibniz-HKI in early 2017 and led the project PiDOMICS to find early risk markers of invasive aspergillosis, a devastating disease caused by a fungal pathogen. As I cherish collaborations, I stayed as Head of Integrative Data Analysis at the Leibniz-HKI. This position gives me the opportunity to leave a footprint and inspire others on the way to do exciting research around microbiome dynamics and not run away in panic in front of gigantic piles of life science data.
When I am not at work, very likely I am on a new adventure with my boys, teaching them respect for their environment and enjoying what nature provides. I enjoy cooking with the family as we create, for instance, our own pasta and lasagne with our beloved Italian noodle machine.