Meet our Team

I am fascinated by the neural mechanisms that drive sensory information processing and neuromodulation. Throughout my career, I have studied these intricate systems across various arthropod species (see CV for details). Since October 2021, I have been a group leader at the Institute for Neuro and Sensory Physiology at the University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany. Together with my team, we aim to uncover the secrets of tick sensory physiology. We use advanced techniques to explore the remarkable ability of ticks to sense and respond to their environment. Our research focuses on how ticks process sensory cues to detect and locate hosts. Growing up in Ulm, in southern Germany - an area abundant with ticks - I frequently encountered these tiny yet remarkable creatures during outdoor activities. These experiences sparked my curiosity and ignited my passion to understand tick behavior and the sensory physiology that enables them to thrive in their environments and to find hosts more effectively. By unraveling the intricate mechanisms behind tick behavior, our research seeks to contribute critical insights into how ticks spread diseases. Understanding how they locate and interact with their hosts may lead to innovative strategies for disrupting the transmission of tick-borne illnesses, ultimately helping to reduce their impact on human and animal health.