About me

Education and Academic Employment
  • 2012 Habilitation, University of Heidelberg
  • 2010 Visiting Scholar, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Harvard University
  • 2008-present Tenured Scientific Staff, Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg
  • 2004-2008 Emmy-Noether Research Group Leader, Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg
  • 2003 Visiting Scientist, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
  • 1998-2004 Scientific Staff, Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg
  • 1997-1998 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cavendish Laboratory (Physics Department), University of Cambridge
  • 1993-1996 PhD Astronomy, University of Cambridge
  • 1990-1993 BA (Hons) Physics, University of Oxford
Appointments
  • Steering Committee of the IAU's Office of Astronomy for Education (2020-2024; as chair 2021-2024)
  • Member of the Gaia CU8 Management Team (2018-2022)
  • MPIA Ombudsperson (2015-2021)
  • Manager of Gaia Coordination Unit 8 "Astrophysical Parameters" (part of the DPAC) (2005-2018)
  • Member of the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) Executive (2005-2018)
  • Co-chair of the Gaia Data Analysis Coordination Committee (2005-2006)
  • Member of the Gaia Science Team (2001-2007)
  • Leader of the Gaia Classification working group (2001-2005)
  • Member of the DIVA Photometry working group (2000-2002)
  • Project scientist for the new wide field infrared camera Omega 2000 for the 3.5m telescope at Calar Alto, Spain (1999-2001)
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge (1997-1998)
Grants and awards
  • Grant from the MPG to finance collaborations with Africa, e.g. BMAAS2023
  • DLR grant for GAIA DPAC work (2006-2009, 2010-2013, 2014-2017, 2018-2020, 2021-2024, 2025-2026)
  • Grants as part of: DFG-funded SFB on the Milky Way (2011-2014, 2015-2018, 2019-2022); EU-funded ITN GREAT (2011-2014)
  • Emmy Noether research group (2004-2008)
  • Emmy Noether fellowship of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (2002-2004)
  • Royal Astronomical Society 1997 Astronomy Prize (second place) awarded for the best Ph.D. theses in the UK
  • Studentship of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, UK (1993-1996)
Professional Activities
  • Grant application refereeing for PPARC, DFG, Swiss NSF, USA NSF
  • Refereeing of articles for: Acta Biotheoretica, American Journal of Physics, Astronomical Journal, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Astrophysical Journal, Astrophysics and Space Science, International Journal of Astrobiology, IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, Measurement Science and Technology, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Nature, Neural Networks, New Astronomy, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Statistical Analysis and Data Mining, Science
  • Observing proposal refereeing for ESO, UKIRT, and CFHT
  • Chair and member of various staff and postdoc search committees
  • Examination of Bachelor, Masters and PhD theses
  • Undergraduate and graduate teaching
  • Optical and infrared photometric and spectroscopic observing from ESO (La Silla and VLT), CTIO, KPNO, and Calar Alto
  • Member of the German Astronomische Gesellschaft and the International Astronomical Union (IAU)
  • Organizer of international scientific meetings