About me

I have been living away from my home country for almost five years. This website helps me keep in touch with people. The heart of the website are my blog posts. Besides the blog, there are several pages with summaries about my research in my home canton Graubünden, Switzerland; projects I started in California; and my research in Panamá. There are also a few other miscellaneous, projects and a more or less recent CV on my website.

Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher in Nicole Dubilier’s Department of Symbiosis at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany. I study the ecology and evolution of marine microbial symbioses in gutless oligochaetes and lucinid clams.

I am the co-chair of the ISME (International Society in Microbial Ecology) Early Career Scientist Committee. I am volunteering to work on these two main goals:

  • Establishment of a virtual platform where early career scientists are invited to present their conference talks that had been cancelled due to COVID-19: https://www.isme-microbes.org/lets-go-viral
  • Formation of an ad hoc diversity committee with the goals of (i) increasing the breadth of voices in the decision making process of conference organization, (ii) highlighting the full diversity of our scientific society and reinforcing support for underrepresented scientists globally, and (iii) deciding on action items to take to the board to change policy on increasing diversity and inclusion #UnityInDiversity https://www.isme-microbes.org/unity-diversity

I am also an External Fish & Wildlife Consultant for the Canton of Grisons, Switzerland. I am advising in population genetic informed management of wild fish populations, fishing regulations, and hatchery practices in my home canton Graubünden, Switzerland.