1983-1991 School and Abitur in Wolfsburg
1991-1992 Military service in Germany
1993-1995 Study of Biology at the Technical University of Braunschweig (Vordiplom)
1995-1998 Study of Biology at the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich November
1998 Diploma in Biology (major degree in Zoology)
1998-1999 Childcare of my one and a half years old daughter Lea Steinfartz
2000-2003 Start of the Ph.D. thesis at the University of Cologne in the department of Evolutionary Genetics (Professor Tautz)
July 2003 Ph. D. in Biology (summa cum laude)
2003-2004 research assistant at the University of Cologne in the department of Evolutionary Genetics (Professor Tautz)
2004-2005 Postdoc fellow at the Yale University in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Oct.2005-Dec.2007 Independent Research Associate at the University of Bielefeld and leader of the project „Patterns of adaptive speciation in salamanders“ funded by the German Research Foundation DFG
Since Jan. 2008 Assistant Professor and leader of the group „Molecular Ecology and Behaviour“ at the University of Bielefeld

1993 Alfred A. Schmidt Preis for the outstanding captive breeding success of Neurergus crocatus (Amphibia: Salamandridae)
1999 Ph.D. research grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG)
2004 Postdoc fellowship of the DFG
2004 National Geographic Research Grant
2005 Research grant from the DFG to establish an independent research group at the University of Bielefeld
2006 DAPTF (Declining Amphibian Population Task Force) seed grant
2006/07 Young researcher’s grant from the University of Bielefeld
2007 Research grant from the VolkswagenStiftung (together with Ralf Hendrix): „Genetic and spatial distribution of fire salamanders during an early stage of adaptive differentiation.“
2008 Research grant from the DFG: „Analysis of a terrestrial salamander population as a model for studying mechanisms of adaptive speciation.“

Regular lectures

-Biology of Amphibians (winter term 2006/07 and 2007/08)

-Conservation Biology (summer term 2008; University of Bielefeld)

-Molecular Biology (winter term 2007/08; regular teaching appointment at the University of Siegen)

Bachelor and Master Modules

-Specialising module: Proximate and Ultimative Aspects of Behaviour (summer term 2006 and 2008)
-Project module: Neuroethology and Behaviour (summer term 2007)

Ph.D. theses

-Scott Glaberman „Genetic analysis of the MHC complex in Galápagos Marine Iguanas“ (Yale University; group of Professor Caccone; 2004-2005)
-Ralf Hendrix „Genetic and spatial distribution of fire salamanders during an early stage of adaptive differentiation.“ (2007-)
-Kai Ristau „Biodiversity of limnic nematodes and their potential for the judgement of limnic habitats“ (University of Bielefeld; group of Professor Traunspurger; 2007-)

Diploma theses

-Daniel Küsters „Investigation of mating and migration behaviour of a fire salamander population (Salamandra salamandra) in the Bergische Land” (University of Cologne 2000-01)
-Claudia Junge „The impact of habitat adaptation on mate choice behaviour in Salamandra salamandra“ (University of Bielefeld; 2006-07)
-Sarah Siegemund „Determining movement patterns of salamanders during a sympatric split“ (2008-)

Bachelor theses

- Katja Schneider „Genetic sex determination in mammals“ (University of Bielefeld 2007)
- Marcus Wenzel „Investigation of postmating selection processes in Salamandra salamandra“(University of Bielefeld 2006-07)

Practical Courses And Excursions

-Cloning of microsatellite loci (Yale University; summer term 2004)
-Zoological excursions (University of Bielefeld; summer term 2007)

Biology  of Salamandra and Mertensiella, Düsseldorf 1992
"Ökologie und Stammesgeschichte der Schwanzlurche", Magdeburg 1993
Third World Congress of Herpetology, Prague 1997
7th Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology, Barcelona 1999
92.th meeting of the German Zoological Society, Innsbruck 1999
96.th meeting of the German Zoological Society, Berlin 2003
13.th meeting of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH), Bonn 2005
99th meeting of the German Zoological Society, Münster 2006
100th meeting of the German Zoological Society, Cologne 2007

6th World Congress of Herpetology, Manaus 2008

Molecular Ecology
Behaviour
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Journal of Biogeography
Herpetological Journal
Amphibia-Reptilia
Conservation Genetics
Frontiers in Zoology
Biologia
Behaviour, Ecology and Sociobiology
Herpetologica

German Research Foundation (DFG)

Prof. Dr. Diethard Tautz, Max Planck Institute Plön (adaptive speciation in salamanders)
Prof. Dr. Fritz Trillmich, University of Bielefeld (Galápagos sea lions)
Dr. Adalgisa Caccone, Yale University (conservation of Galápagos marine iguanas)
Dr. Michael Veith, University of Trier (taxonomy and systematics of salamanders)
Dr. Markus Weitere, University of Cologne (ecology of salamanders)
Dr. Lucio Bonato, University of Padova (taxonomy and evolution of Alpine salamanders)
Dr. Davied Vieites, Berkeley University of California (speciation in salamanders)
Prof. Walter Traunspurger, University of Bielefeld (DNA barcoding of limnic nematodes)

Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft
Societas Europaea Herpetologica
Oesterreichische Gesellschaft fuer Herpetologie
Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde