After a few semesters in mathematics and physics, I studied biology at Saarland University, where I discovered my fascination for virology. I did my master’s and doctoral thesis at the Saarland University Hospitals in Homburg, where I studied the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpesvirus that causes a number of human tumor diseases. This period also saw the discovery of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), a relative of EBV. Besides some B-cell lymphomas, KSHV causes the eponymous Kaposi sarcoma, a tumor that saw a dramatic increase in case numbers following the AIDS epidemic. After completing my PhD, I went to the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) to work in the laboratory of Don Ganem, one of the pioneers of KSHV research. There, I was able to work with newly developed microarrays, an analysis technique that for the first time allowed the interrogation of complete transcriptomes. In the process, I could also expand my bionformatics skills, e.g., by developing algorithms for the identification and analysis of viral miRNAs. The investigation of experimental infection systems using omics analysis methods, as well as the development and adaptation of bioinformatic analysis methods have been the focus of my research ever since. From 2005 on, I am leading a research group at the Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology in Hamburg, where I am investigating KSHV, but also other human pathogenic DNA viruses such as Merkel cell polyomavirus. In addition, we use metagenomic sequencing to identify infectious agents in clinical samples. The variety of intellectual challenges associated with these topics are a major part of my scientific motivation.
In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors – whether by bike or on foot.