What is your current position?
I am research group leader the Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology & Immunology at Friedrich‑Alexander‑University and Uniklinikum Erlangen. I also serve as steering committee member of the Transregio CRC 369 “DIONE – Degeneration of Bone due to Inflammation”.
What is your main research focus?
My research team investigates the mechanisms underlying the development of autoimmunity and the interplay of autoantibodies, innate immune cells, and bone loss in rheumatologic diseases.
We focus on:
- Plasma cell development, antibody characteristics and the impact of glycosylation in (auto)immunity
- Regulation of osteoclast activity and bone homeostasis
What does your typical workday look like?
A typical day starts with a well structured to-do list that becomes totally crashed within the first hour. The rest of the day is a mixture of problem solving, experimental design, many discussions with my research team and collaborators, writing and occasional celebrations of breakthroughs.
