Since March 2010 I'm a PhD student in the Milky Way and the Local Volume Research Group of the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam. My supervisor is Prof. Matthias Steinmetz. Currently I'm working on two projects, both using N-body simulations:

One deals with an alternative generation mechanism for Hypervelocity stars (HVSs) during the accretion of a dwarf galaxy by the Milky Way. It is a continuation of the work I did for my diploma thesis in collaboration with Dr. Mary Williams.
In the second project, my actual PhD project, I investigate different formation scenarios of the Galactic thick disk using hydrodynamical N-body simulations which also follow the chemical evolution of the interstellar medium. For this I work together with Dr. Cecilia Scannapieco

Currently I'm the student representative of the AIP student club JUST ASK. In this postion I also partly maintain to maintain the AIP Newcomers Guide.