Education and Experience

Employment History

Jan 2022-present Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery
Oct. 2013-present
Veterinarian at LABOKLIN & Co. KG, Laboratory for Clinical Diagnostics, Bad Kissingen, Germany.
Oct. 2013-present
Associate professor at the University of Hohenheim on infectious diseases of animals
April 2011-Sept. 2013 Research Scientist at the Institut für Umwelt- und Tierhygiene of the University of Hohenheim.
April 2002 – April 2011 Assistent Professor at the Institut für Umwelt- und Tierhygiene of the University of Hohenheim.
May 2001 – April 2002 Research Scientist in the virological laboratory of the Institute for Environmental and Animal Hygiene of the University of Hohenheim.
Oct. 1997 – April 2001 Scientific Assistant at the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish of the Justus Liebig University Giessen.

Education

2022 Diplomate, European College of Veterinary Microbiology
2010 Diplomate, European College of Zoological Medicine (herpetology)
July 2010 Habilitation for environmental and animal hygiene as well as veterinary virology
July 2007 Certified specialist for microbiology
July 2002 Certified specialist for reptile medicine
Oct. 1995 – Feb. 2000 Dissertation at the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish of the Justus Liebig University Giessen Isolation and characterization of irido, herpes and reoviruses from tortoises and description of an uncharacterized cytopathogenic agent
Nov. 30, 1995 German Approbation (Boards) as a veterinarian
1989 – 1995 Veterinary Medical School at the Justus Liebig University Giessen

Professional Memberships and Offices

• American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV)
o Associate Editor for the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 2014-2021
• Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV)
o President (2013-2014)
o Chair of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery (2013-2021)
o Chair of the Infectious Diseases Committee (2014-present)
• European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (EAZWV)
o Infectious disease working group (IDWG) of the EAZWV
• European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM)
o Chairperson herpetology specialty (2015-2019)
o ECZM president (2019-2022)
• German Herpetological Society (DGHT)
o Working group on Amphibian and Reptilian Diseases (AG ARK) of the DGHT
• German Veterinary Medical Society (DVG)
o Chair of the expert group on birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish (Zier-, Zoo- und Wildvögel, Reptilien, Amphbien und Fische (ZZWVRAF))
• Global Ranavirus Consortium (GRC) (2023-present)
o European Representative of the GRC (2013-2017)
• German Virological Society (GfV)
• European Society of Veterinary Virology (ESVV)

Research

Peer-reviewed journals:

• Co-author on over 150 peer-reviewed journal publications
Books:
• Editor of one scientific textbook
• Author or co-author of over 20 chapters in scientific textbooks
Scientific abstracts:
• Co-author on over 300 scientific abstracts and presentations

Awards

Select Prizes and Awards

• Certificates of appreciation from the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV): 2013, 2016, 2019
• Outstanding service awards from the Global Ranavirus Consortium (GRC): 2013-2017, 2017
• Certificate of Appreciation from the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (JZWM): 2014
• Frank-Mutschmann-Gedächtnispreis of the German Veterinary Society (DVG): 2021
• RAVE award for Reptile and Amphibian Veterinary Excellence from ARAV: 2021