Curriculum Vitae
Education
2016 − 2021 Ph.D. Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
2015 − 2016 M.Sci. Physics, St John’s College, University of Cambridge
2012 − 2015 B.A. Natural Sciences, St John’s College, University of Cambridge
Experience
2021 − present Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Science and Technology Austria
2016 − 2021 PhD Thesis with Prof. Chase Broedersz, LMU Munich.
Title: "Stochastic Dynamics of Migrating Cells: A Data-Driven Approach"
2015 − 2016 Master Thesis with Dr. Erika Eiser and Prof. Daan Frenkel, University of Cambridge
Title: "Hydrodynamics of Colloids in External Fields"
2014 Research Assistant, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Freiburg, Germany
Fabrication, characterisation and development of solution processed organic solar cells using a P3HT/PCBM active layer within different cell architectures.
2012 Research Internship, Department of Physics, University of Freiburg, Germany
Simulation of particle interactions in the COMPASS experiment at CERN.
Grants and Fellowships
2022 EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship
2021 NOMIS Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
2018 Add-on Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Life Science from the Joachim-Herz-Foundation
2016 PhD fellowship through the Graduate School of Quantitative Bioscience Munich
2013-2015 United Steel Companies Scholarship, St John’s College, Cambridge
2012-2016 Scholarship from the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)
Awards and Prizes
2022 Dissertation Award of the Munich University Association (Münchener Universitätsgesellschaft)
2022 Gustav-Hertz-Prize of the German Physical Society
2020 Center of NanoScience Munich publication award: "Scientific Breakthrough"
2020 Solvay Institute Workshop "Physics of Living Systems" Young Researcher Prize
2019 Center of NanoScience Munich publication award: "Best Interdisciplinary Publication"
2016 Hockin Prize for excellent undergraduate performance, St John’s College, Cambridge
Teaching and Mentoring Experience
Tutor at LMU Munich Elite Master Course Theoretical and Mathematical Physics (TMP)
TMP-TE1 Soft Matter (Summer Term 2017)
TMP-TE2 Stochastic Processes (Winter Term 2017/2018)
Seminar on Theoretical Biophysics (Summer Term 2018, Winter Term 2018/2019, Winter Term 2019/2020)
T-M1 Advanced Statistical Physics (Summer Term 2019)
Supervision of rotation students and interns at IST Austria
Supervision of rotation projects (3 month research placements as part of grad school):
S. Backlund (05.2023 − present): 'Error-correcting networks in cell-cell communication'
J. Majek (03.2023 − 06.2023): 'Stochastic dynamical systems for cell fate decisions'
J. Renaud (09.2022 − 01.2023): 'Stochastic inference from neural activity trajectories'
M. Hübl (03.2022 − 06.2022): 'Mechanochemical models for migrating trains of cells'
B. Zakirov (01.2022 − 04.2021): 'Stochastic inference from ERK signaling trajectories in organoids'
Supervision of long-term internships:
S. Savino (11.2022 − present): 'Mechanochemical symmetry breaking in confined cellular tissues'
Supervision of Master students and interns at LMU Munich:
Master Thesis S. Riedijk (07.2020 − 09.2021): 'Confined cell migration in anisotropic two-dimensional confinements'
Master Thesis T. Brandstätter (09.2019 − 02.2021): ’Spontaneous collective ordering in confined cell clusters'
Master Thesis M. Schmitt (03.2019 − 05.2020): ’Stochastic cell shape dynamics in confinement'
Master Thesis N. Arlt (03.2019 − 03.2020): ’Cell-cell interaction in confining micro-environments’
Master Thesis J. Flommersfeld (10.2018 − 12.2019): ’Active contraction in elastic boundaries’
Research Mentor for the Summer Research Program 2017 of the Nanoinitiative Munich
Master Thesis M. Berger (04.2017 − 07.2018): ’Failure of biological networks with dynamic cross-links’
Internship H. Le Roy (10.2016 − 06.2017): ’Guiding cell migration in deformed extra-cellular matrices’.