About
I am a research fellow in the department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics at the University of Oxford, where I study the growth and evolution of rocky planets in order to embed the birth and life cycle of terrestrial worlds in an integrated picture. My work is connected with the Oxford Network for Planets, the Simons Collaboration on the Origins of Life, and the Alien Earths program.
Before coming to Oxford, I completed my doctoral studies in planetary astro- and geophysics at the departments of Physics and Earth Sciences of ETH Zurich, Switzerland. For my undergraduate degrees in Physics I studied at the University of Göttingen, Germany, with a brief stint at Peking University, China.
Please find a short CV here.
Research Positions
| University of Oxford, United Kingdom Simons Collaboration on the Origins of Life Postdoctoral Fellow Swiss National Science Foundation Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellow |
10/2019–
08/2018–09/2019
|
Education
| ETH Zurich, Switzerland Planetary physics, star & planet formation, Dr. sc. ETH Zurich |
09/2014–07/2018
|
| Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany Physics, Master of Science |
09/2012–08/2014
|
| Peking University (北京大学), P. R. China Chinese language & culture, semester abroad |
08/2012–01/2013
|
| Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany, Physics, Bachelor of Science |
09/2009–08/2012
|
Teaching & Mentoring
| BSc semester project, Gustav Pap, ETH Zurich Particle Physics & Astrophysics, co-supervision "Investigating the surface composition of airless, terrestrial exoplanets with LIFE" | 2021 |
| DPhil project, Ryan Boukrouche, Oxford Atmospheric Physics, co-supervision "Beyond runaway: initiation of the post-runaway greenhouse state on rocky exoplanets" | 2020–21 |
| MSc semester project, Madeleine Müller, ETH Zurich Earth Sciences, co-supervision "Silicate melting and metal pooling in planetesimals" | 2020 |
| Block course for MSc and PhD students, U Bayreuth, BGI, guest lecturer "Origin and role of volatiles in the early solar system and planets" | 01/2020 |
| Student mentor, University of Oxford, St Cross College 12 graduate (MSc/DPhil) students from the natural sciences | 2019– |
| BSc thesis, Madeleine Müller, ETH Zurich Earth Sciences, co-supervision "Percolative core formation in terrestrial planetesimals and protoplanets" | 2019 |
| Planetary Physics and Chemistry & Geophysics II, ETH Zurich, substitute lecturer | 2017–18 |
| MSc thesis, Irene Bonati, ETH Zurich Earth Sciences, co-supervision "Quantitative Predictions for the Observability of Protoplanetary Collisions" | 2016–17 |
| BSc semester project, Fabio Luchsinger, ETH Zurich Earth Sciences, co-supervision "2D Numerical Modeling of Pebble Accretion Influence on Planetesimal Evolution" | 2016 |
| Physics I+II for non-physicists, ETH Zurich Physics, Teaching Assistant, exercise/exam design | 2014–16 |
| Scientific computing techniques, Göttingen University Physics, Teaching Assistant | 2013–14 |
| Introduction to Astro- and Geophysics, Göttingen University Physics, Teaching Assistant | 2013 |
| Basic physics lab course, Göttingen University Physics, Lab Assistant | 2012–14 |
Refereeing Service
| Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Astronomical Journal, Astrophysical Journal, Icarus |
Honors & Awards
| Doctoral Thesis Award 2019, German Astronomical Society | 09/2019 |
| PhD Prize for Planetary Systems and Astrobiology 2018, International Astronomical Union | 06/2019 |
| Non-stipendiary Junior Research Fellowship, St Cross College, University of Oxford | 06/2019 |
| Simons Collaboration on the Origins of Life Postdoctoral Fellowship, Simons Foundation | 12/2018 |
| Horneck-Brack Presentation Award, 2nd prize, European Astrobiology Network Association | 09/2018 |
| Bernoulli postdoctoral fellowship, University of Oxford & University of Bern | 03/2018 |
| Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship, Swiss National Science Foundation | 12/2017 |
| MERAC funding and travel award, Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy | 09/2016 |
| 'Dr. Berliner – Dr. Ungewitter' prize for M.Sc. thesis, Göttingen University | 12/2014 |
| M.Sc. diploma awarded 'with distinction', Göttingen University | 07/2014 |
Grants & Funding
| Grant for Rocky Worlds II conference, Royal Astronomical Society | PI |
05/2021 |
| Grant for Rocky Worlds II conference, Meteoritical Society | PI |
03/2021 |
| Geodynamic Regimes During Planetogenesis, Simons Foundation | PI |
12/2018 |
| Linking Interior-Atmosphere Regimes to Planetary Accretion, Swiss National Science Foundation | PI |
12/2017 |
| Grant for international workshop on 'water and planet formation', University of Zurich | Co-I |
04/2017 |
| Volatile degassing from terrestrial planet precursors, Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy | PI |
09/2016 |
Academic Associations
| International Astronomical Union | 05/2021– |
| European Astronomical Society | 06/2019– |
| Royal Astronomical Society | 06/2019– |
| Europlanet Society | 03/2019– |
| Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy | 01/2015– |
| German Astronomical Society | 11/2013– |
| German Physical Society | 11/2010– |
Meeting Organization
| Rocky Worlds II | SOC |
Oxford, UK |
01/2022 |
| LIFE Lorentz center workshop (cancelled due to COVID-19) | SOC |
Leiden, NL |
06/2021 |
| AGU session: Accretion and differentiation of rocky planets | Convenor |
SF/virtual |
12/2020 |
| LIFE workshop III | SOC |
Zurich/virtual |
12/2020 |
| ESO workshop: Threats from the surroundings | SOC |
Munich/virtual |
11/2020 |
| Exoplanets III | Moderator |
Heidelberg/virtual |
07/2020 |
| Mini-workshop: LIFE – Large Interferometer For Exoplanets | SOC |
Zurich/virtual |
05/2020 |
| 3rd Oxford Meeting on Planets | LOC/SOC |
Oxford, UK |
12/2019 |
| Exoclimes V | LOC |
Oxford, UK |
08/2019 |
| 2nd Oxford Meeting on Planets | LOC/SOC |
Oxford, UK |
12/2018 |
| Water during planet formation and evolution 2018 | LOC/SOC |
Zurich, CH |
02/2018 |
| The Origins of Volatiles in Habitable Planets: The Solar System and Beyond | LOC |
Ann Arbor, US |
10/2017 |
| NCCR PlanetS Workshop: The crucial role of water | LOC/SOC |
Zurich, CH |
12/2016 |