I test theories of community ecology against
global change factors using experiments, observations and syntheses.
More specifically, I am driven by the question:
how do global change factors (e.g. climate warming and drought) affect species interactions and what are the implications of those altered interactions for community structure and ecosystem functions?
To answer this broad question, I have mainly worked with soil microorganisms, soil invertebrates and plant communities from both grasslands and forests. But in general, I am interested in any system and organism where I can intersect community- and global change ecology.
Scientific Career
2020-Present:
Assistant professor (tenure track), University of Bern, Switzerland
2020:
Post-doctoral researcher (DFG Research fellow), University of Konstanz, Germany
Supervisor: Prof. Mark van Kleunen
2018-2020:
Post-doctoral researcher (DFG Research fellow), Netherlands Institute of Ecology
(NIOO-KNAW), The Netherlands
Supervisor: Prof. Wim van der Putten
2018-2021:
Co-Principal investigator- Warming Effects on Plant Soil interplay and ecosystem functioning in Wadden Sea Salt marshes (WEPSS), University of Hamburg, Germany
2016- 2018:
Post-doctoral researcher, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig and Leipzig University, Germany
Supervisor: Prof. Nico Eisenhauer
Education
2013-2016:
Doctoral degree (summa cum laude) in Prof. Nico Eisenhauer’s Lab (Experimental Interaction Ecology), German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig and Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
Topic: Plant-soil interactions in a changing world: A consumer-resource perspective
2010-2012:
Master of Science: Forest and Nature Conservation (Specialization in Soil Ecology), Wageningen University and Research Center, the Netherlands
2006-2008:
Master of Science: Environmental Management, Pokhara University, Nepal
2003-2006:
Bachelor of Science: Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal