University Education

- 1987 PhD in Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany.
- 1982 Diploma in Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany.

Professional Positions

- Since 2010 ICREA Research Professor at Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona.
- 1998-2009 Full Professor, Saarland University, Germany.
- 1990-1998 Assistant Professor, University of Freiburg, Germany.
- 1988-1990 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France.
- 1987-1988 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute Biotechnological Research, Braunschweig, Germany.

Research interests

Infections with non-cytopathic viruses usually have 2 different outcomes. They may be eliminated by host immune responses (acute infections) or they may persist lifelong (persistent infections). Medically important examples are the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), the Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) that in adults usually follow an acute (HBV), a persistent (HIV) or an either acute or persistent (HCV) infection course. My laboratory is interested (i) to understand the factors that regulate the decision between an acute versus a persistent infection course, (ii) to define the factors that control the dynamic balance of virus expansion and immune control in persistent infections, (iii) to generate quantitative descriptions of the virus/immune system dynamics by mathematical modeling, and (iv) to identify small chemical compounds with broad-spectrum antiviral activities.