Research Topics
- Early Stages of Star Formation
- Massive Star Formation
- Protoplanetary Disks and Planet Formation
- Exoplanets and Brown Dwarfs
- Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium
- Laboratory Astrophysics
Professional service and Associations
- Managing Director of the Department of Planet and Star Formation (PSF) at the MPI for Astronomy, Heidelberg
- Speaker of German DFG Programme "Physics of Star Formation” (1995-2002)
- Member of SOFIA Science Council
- Member of ELT Design Study Steering Committee
- Member of the ESO Council
- Member of AG (Astronomische Gesellschaft) and DPG (Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft)
- Scientific Associate of ISOPHOT, MIDI (MIR interferometer instrument for the VLTI), and HIFI (Herschel) instrument teams
- Co-I of infrared instruments FIFI-LS (SOFIA), PACS (Herschel), and MIRI (JWST)
- Co-PI of PRIMA astrometric planet search programme
- ESA/ESO Observer of the NASA/NSF Exoplanet Task Force
- Chair of the LBTB
- Member Representative in the Large Binocular Telescope Council
- Member of the CAHA (Calar Alto Observatory) Executive Board
- Panel Chair of the European Research Council for Advanced Investigator Grants (2008, 2010)
