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 design immunogens to inhibit virus infections, and (iv) to generate quantitative descriptions of the virus/immune system dynamics by mathematical modeling.