I studied Biology with a focus on Molecular Immunology, Virology and Microbiology at the University of Freiburg and the ENS Lyon; and obtained my diploma degree in 2007. I was then awarded a postgraduate fellowship from the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) to conduct my doctoral studies in Immunology, investigating the role of cytokines in T cell activation and memory formation during infection. After receiving my Dr. rer. nat in 2011, I joined the group of Facundo D. Batista at Cancer Research UK (now the Francis Crick Institute) in London, where I was awarded a fellowship of the German Research Foundation (DFG) to study the role of actin regulators in mediating B cell receptor signaling. In 2017, I started my own research group at the TranslaTUM in Munich. In 2023, I joined the Medical University of Graz as a group leader (Tenure Track Research Professor).
In addition to leading my research group, I am have extensive experience in training of users in theory of flow cytometry, handling of the BDFortessa flow cytometer as well as multi-parametric panel design. I teach and implement advanced data-analysis of flow cytometric as well as mass cytometric (CyTOF) data using algorithms such as FlowSOM, tSNE and UMAP.
I am also involved in teaching and organising seminars as well as student’s courses as part of different MBA programmes.
Together with my co-organisers (Julia Jellusova, Mark Boothby), I initiated and host a virtual monthly seminar series – the “International B cell metabolism club” – with the goal to foster collaborations and to receive constructive input amongst B cell enthusiasts.