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Freie Universität Berlin

2008 - 2012

Ph.D. in Bioinformatics

Ph.D. with distinction (summa cum laude) in Bioinformatics from the Free University of Berlin within the International Max Planck Research School for Computational Biology and Scientific Computing (IMPRS-CBSC). Thesis: "Localized signaling and communication during yeast mating", supervised by Dr. Edda Klipp and Dr. Martin Vingron.

Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics

2007 - 2008

preparatory program (M.Sc. equivalent) in Systems Biology

Fast-track program of the International Max Planck Research School for Computational Biology and Scientific Computing (IMPRS-CBSC).

Freie Universität Berlin

2004 - 2007

B.Sc. in Bioinformatics

Undergraduate program in Bioinformatics.

Medical University of Graz

2024 - now

Assistant Professor

I joined the Medical University in Graz in march 2024 as an Assistant Professor for Computational Microbiome Science. My lab operates within the Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine and also forms part of the the The lab forms part of the Austrian FWF Cluster of Excellence "Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health".

Institute for Systems Biology (ISB)

2018 - 2024

Senior Research Scientist

I started as a Washington Research Foundation Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow in the Gibbons Lab. I was promoted to a Research Scientist position in 2020 and to a Senior Research Scientist position in 2022. My research is focused on leveraging data from metagenomics, deep phenotyping and wet lab experiments to unravel the functional consequences of compositional shifts in the mammalian gut microbiome. I also worked with environmental samples and long-read sequencing of metagenome samples. In the wet lab, I standardized and performed anaerobic *ex vivo* culturing assays and processed samples for shotgun sequencing, RNA-seq, proteomic, and metabolomic quantification.

National Institute for Genomic Medicine

2015 - 2018

Investigator in Medical Sciences

I held a position in Dr. Osbaldo Resendis' laboratory of Human Systems Biology. In the first half of my position I studied metabolic alterations in cancer using a variety of data sources such as metabolome, genome and transcriptome data and combined those with mathematical modeling (flux balance analysis). Later I switched my focus to the microbiome where I analyzed 16S amplicon sequencing and metagenomic data sets from various cohorts and modeled the underlying microbial communities.

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

2012 - 2014

Postdoctoral Fellow

I worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Integrative Research of Biological Systems of Dr. Gabriel Del Rio Guerra in the field of Synthetic Biology and Peptide design. During my position at the UNAM I used a combination of machine learning and optimization theory to design multi-functional cell-penetrating and antimicrobial peptides and validated their function in *E. coli* and *S. cerevisiae* using a variety of molecular biology methods.

National Science Foundation REU program

2022 - 2022

Mentor

I mentored two undergrad students from Cornell and Notre Dame University within the ISB Summer Undergraduate Research Experience.

National Science Foundation REU program

2021 - 2022

Research Consultant

I collaborated with community college educators from Washington state in developing classroom modules for the NSF-funded RCN-UBE program at the ISB. The designed activities were implemented in classrooms in 2022.

Institute for Systems Biology

2020 - 2022

Lead Instructor

I designed teaching materials and acted as a lead instructor for the [ISB Microbiome Series](https://isbscience.org/microbiome2022), a recurring freely available online course teaching microbiome data analysis and metabolic modeling. The three iterations of the course were attended by more than 3000 international registrants.

Institute for Systems Biology

2019 - 2020

Mentor

I mentored two high school students from Washington state within the ISB High School Internship program.

Desafío LatAm, Mexico City

2017 - 2018

Teacher

Developed and gave classes in a Developer Bootcamp Program for professionals in Big Data Engineering (5h/week).

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

2013 - 2013

Teaching Assistant

Taught classes, designed and graded exercises and exams to students in the Bioengineering program.

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

2013 - 2013

Teaching Assistant

Prepared lectures, designed exercises and exams and provided tutoring to students in the Biophysics program.

Dr. Christine Schaeffer Award for Exemplary Service to STEM Education

07/2022

at Institute for Systems Biology

The award is given to ISB scientists who have taken up the mantle of devoting their time and efforts to improving STEM education.

ISB Innovator Award 2022 (PI)

04/2022

at Institute for Systems Biology

Awarded $55,000 for the project "A Clinical and Experimental Exploration of Gut Microbiome-Statin Interactions".

Precision Nutrition Gaps And Opportunities Workshop Poster Award

01/2021

at National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Awarded for poster titled "Predicting personalized responses to dietary interventions with metagenome-scale metabolic models of the gut microbiota".

ISB Innovator Award 2019 (PI)

04/2019

at Institute for Systems Biology

Awarded $55,000 for the project "Integrating genetics, blood proteomics and the gut microbiome to understand transitions from high to lower weights".

Poster prize winner PostDoc

05/2017

at Copenhagen Bioscience Conference

Awarded for best research project in the PostDoc category.

Award of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

10/2011

at Cellular Signaling Conference, Mérida México

Awarded for exceptional research quality.

Scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Program (DAAD)

2011

at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Scholarship for a short research stay.

Scholarship of the International Max Planck Research School

2007

at Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics

Full scholarship for pre-doc and Ph.D. studies.

Young investigator award

2007

at SYSBIOHEALTH symposium, Milano Italy

Awarded for best poster.