Research interests
Understanding the population dynamics of wildlife in a changing world is the motivation of my research. I combine ecological, statistical, and mathematical models to study ecological processes that are usually difficult to observe in the wild. Focusing on rare and sensitive species, I aim to summarize current knowledge based on data and expert opinions, to assist making of sustainable decisions in management and nature conservation.
In my research, I help identifying key demographic parameters and understanding how these parameters are shaped by the environment. For example, I made models on movements and survival of migratory animals based on recoveries of marked animals found dead, or based on GPS or geolocation data as well as on stable isotope and parasite data. Recently, I also modelled the composition of winter populations of hunted species, with the aim to inform hunting regulation.
Currently, I concentrate on methods for integrating economic, societal, and ecological costs and benefits of decisions in nature conservation. Underlying all of my work as a statistician and researcher is the aim to assess uncertainty and to help communicating uncertainty to scientists, conservation managers, and decision makers.
Education and professional experience
- Senior scientist in the Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Conservation group and Research Station Petite Camargue Alsacienne, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel. 2024 - ongoing
- Habilitation, ETH Zurich. 2024
- Senior scientist at the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach. 2023 - ongoing
- Lecturer at the Department of Environmental System Sciences, ETH Zurich. 2016 - ongoing
- Co-owner and researcher at oikostat GmbH, Ettiswil. 2003 - ongoing
- CAS Team dynamics, School of Social Work, Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW, Olten. 2019 - 2021
- Head of Ecological Statistics and senior scientist at the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach. 2015 - 2022
- Statistics advisor at the Research Station Petite Camargue Alsacienne, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel. 2007 - 2023
- Post-diploma studies in statistics, Institute of Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, University of Bern. 2007 - 2008
- Researcher at the Swiss Ornithological Institute. 2004 - 2014
- Manager of the nature reserve Naturlehrgebiet Buchwald, Ettiswil. 2003 - 2006
- Post-diploma studies in statistics at the Department of Mathematics, ETH Zurich. 2001 - 2003
- PhD student, Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, D-Radolfzell, and University of Zurich. 1999 - 2003
- Secretary at the Foundation for the Protection of Bats, Zurich. 1997 - 1998
- Student of biology, University of Zurich and Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach. 1992 - 1996