Curriculum Vitae

Plant ecophysiologist specialized in hydraulic and carbon dynamics during abiotic stress, 

translating plant physiological responses to ecosystem dynamics.

Education

03/2015 – 02/2019 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Botanical institute, University of Basel, Switzerland

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Ansgar Kahmen, Prof. Dr. Mai-He Li (Examination 28-02-2019)

Thesis: “Physiological coupling mechanisms of carbon and nutrient dynamics underlying the drought-induced decline of Scots pine”

04/2015 – 05/2017 Diploma of advanced studies in APPLIED STATISTICS - ETH Zürich, Switzerland

09/2012 – 02/2015  Master of Sciences (MSc) in BIOLOGY - Wageningen University, the Netherlands

09/2008 – 07/2012       Bachelor of Sciences (BSc) in BIOLOGY - Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Employments

09/2023 - present Postdoctoral researcher - Southern Swedish Forestry Research Centre, Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Advisor: Magnus Löf

09/2021 – 08-2023 SNF Postdoc.Mobility Fellow - Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, USA

Advisors: Prof. Dr. Louis Santiago, Prof. Dr. Carolyn Rasmussen

03/2020 – 06/2021 Postdoctoral researcher - Plant Ecology Research Lab, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Charlotte Grossiord

02/2019 – 12/2019  Researcher (80%) - Ecophysiology Group, WSL Birmensdorf, Switzerland

Advisor: Dr. Marcus Schaub

03/2015 – 02/2019       Doctoral researcher - Ecophysiology Group, WSL Birmensdorf, Switzerland

Advisors: Prof. Dr. Mai-He Li, Dr. Marcus Schaub

Grants

Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship, SNSF (Swiss National Science Foundation) (09/2021)

Structural and biochemical changes in leaves below turgor loss point: Implications for cellular, physiological and ecosystem drougt responses. CHF 124,000

Christine Buisman Fellowship (09/2014) Travel grant. € 300

Alberta Mennega Fellowship (09/2013) Travel grant. € 300

Competences

Field campaigns:

Mexico (2013), France (2016), USA (2016, 2021-2023), Switzerland (2015-2020); Observational and manipulative studies in the field, experiments in semi-controlled open-top chambers, greenhouses, and fully controlled climate chambers.

Field skills:

Tree coring; soil moisture measurements and soil sampling; forest inventories; plant material collection; in-situ eco-physiological measurements (gas exchange and fluorescence); leaf water potential; chlorophyll content measurements; experimental isotope pulse labelling techniques (13C, 15N)

Laboratory:

Handling of soil and tree samples (drying, homogenizing); sugar and starch extraction and analyses; soil nutrient analyses; leaf embedding and sectioning; scanning electron and light microscopy; plant hydraulics; water extraction of plant and soil; isotope analyses; microCT imaging

Digital:

Statistics / modelling (R statistical software, DO3SE model, ImageJ)

Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel)

Creative (Adobe InDesign, Powerdirector, Windows moviemaker)

Major collaborations

Magnus Löf (SLU, Sweden), Louis Santiago (UC Riverside, USA), Carolyn Rasmussen (UC Riverside, USA), Arthur Gessler (WSL, Switzerland), Marcus Schaub (WSL, Switzerland), Mai-He Li (WSL, Switzerland), Günter Hoch (University Basel Switzerland), Ansgar Kahmen (University Basel, Switzerland), Charlotte Grossiord (EPFL, Switzerland). Roman Zweifel (WSL, Switzerland), Frank Sterck (Wageningen University, Netherlands), Frans Bongers (Wageningen University, Netherlands)

Teaching

I have co-supervised 4 MSc students and 1 BSc student. I have taught courses in laboratory chemical analysis, statistical modeling and scientific visualisations, and was guest lecturer at the Southern European Regional meeting of the International Student Forestry Association (ISFA). 

Other activities and memberships

Associate editor:  

Annals of Forest Science

Journal reviews:

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Annals of Forest Science, Biogeosciences, Current Forest Reports, Dendrobiology, Ecological Indicators, Forests, Frontiers in Plants Sciences, Global Change Biology, New Phytologist, Plant Physiology, Tree Physiology, Trees

Societies:           

European Geosciences Union (2017 – present)

Ecological Society of America (2021 – present)