STEM field | Insights

1. Could you please briefly describe your academic career to date?
I am co-director of the Institute of Environmental Physics at Heidelberg University, lead my own research team working on AerosoL In Climate ChangE (ALIC²E), and teach climate physics to students at different levels. Before I have joined Heidelberg University, I led a research unit at GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, and a research branch of the Hans-Ertel-Center for Weather Research in Cologne and Bonn. My first offer for a professorship was a tenure-track position from the University of Cologne at the age of 34. For my postdoctoral research, I was affiliated with the Max-Planck Institute of Meteorology, Hamburg, and KIT, Karlsruhe. I obtained my PhD degree from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom and previously studied atmospheric physics and climate in Hannover and Melbourne, Australia. 

2. What are you currently focusing on in your research work?
I am interested in tiny particles that are typically not visible to our human eye, the physical processes of storms, and their interactions in the Earth’s climate system. One current focus in my work is the role of the tiny particles, which we call aerosols, for the light transfer in the atmosphere. Aerosols act to cool the climate in contrast to the warming by the enhanced greenhouse effect induced by the anthropogenic concentrations of trace gases. Knowing how large the aerosol effects are is important to better understand how climate changes and has consequences for applications, e.g., electricity production from solar irradiance. We assess these effects with a hierarchy of different models of which some are lightweight and can be run on a laptop while other ones are complex and demand the use of high-performance computing. 

Another current focus are measurements of aerosols and atmospheric conditions that affect winds. We have recently completed two ship expeditions in the tropical Atlantic to measure aerosols from the Sahara Desert far away on the open ocean, and now prepare a one-year long measurement campaign in northern Germany to advance our fundamental knowledge about the atmospheric structure for wind energy applications. In that project „MiRadOr“, we internationally collaborate with partners from science and industry to jointly push the frontiers of our technical limitations for measuring atmospheric processes that will allow us to gain new observationally based insights.

3. What fascinates you the most about your field of research and how did you become interested in it in the first place?
My work is driven by one question: How do aerosols get into our atmosphere and once they are there, how do they influence our weather and climate? The short question seems simple but finding answers is not, due to a multitude of involved processes from local micro scale physics and chemistry to the global climate system, with a number of different impacts including renewable power and human health. The complexity of the problem fascinates me. It is a strong motivation to use different methods for addressing the problem and collaborating across disciplinary boundaries to find new answers.

I first got interested in aerosols when I experienced a desert-dust storm in Australia during my undergraduate studies. The dust storm turned the sky into an orange haze during the morning instead of the typical blue sky with sunshine. As young atmospheric physicist, I was curious to understand that dust outbreak, which was entirely different from the weather we can experience in Germany. It was the first step on my academic path to understand aerosols and storms.

4. Why is Heidelberg University the ideal place for your research?
Heidelberg University is internationally recognised in science and education attracting young talents to study and work with us. The inspiring and open-minded atmosphere at the university makes it a pleasant place to work. It creates the freedom and space to explore new ideas, which is essential for scientific advancements.

5. Were there any obstacles that you had to deal with in research and what helped you overcome them?
Not everything goes according to plan. I had for instance to deal with the restrictions of the Covid pandemic right at the time when I started my first own research group as Juniorprofessor at a new university. Moreover, a planned participation in an ocean expedition was cancelled due to Covid and never replaced. Taking time for sport and leisure always helped me to have the necessary resilience and patience to keep going.   

6. What advice would you give to students that are interested in pursuing a similar career in research to yours?
A very good university degree in physics and passion for science are a solid basis for a career in research. My advise would be to rely on your skills and have the courage to challenge yourself to make progress.