Career opportunities and former group members

PhD position

If you are interested in applying for a PhD scholarship (e.g. DAAD), don't hesitate to contact us!

Postdoc fellowship

If you are interested in writing a grant to support a postdoctoral position to work in our lab, there are several opportunities to do so: e.g., IGB fellowship, DFG fellowship, DFG Walter Benjamin Programme, Humboldt fellowship, Marie-Curie fellowship, Rising Star fellowship. Please don't hesitate to contact us!

Master/Bachelor project

We are currently looking for Master’s (Bachelor’s) students, to conduct the following project(s): "Effect of nanoplastic pollution on the spread of disease in aquatic environments" (for details check here) or "Evolution of parasitism in phytoplankton-infecting chytrids" (check here).

In addition, we would be glad to welcome proactive students who are willing to formulate their own novel research questions under our guidance, and to develop their own project in other research areas. These might include, for example, experimental evolution, biodiversity studies (using modern DNA-sequencing methods), or the effects of climate change on the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. If you are interested, please get in touch to discuss your ideas with us. What do we offer? An inspiring atmosphere in an international research group (our group currently has eleven members of six different nationalities; as of April 2022).  We will provide you with a proper level of guidance and supervision during your project, as well as space for autonomous work. We offer a real research experience which will help you in your future career inside or outside of academia (check below what former students have achieved after working with us; note that Master’s and Bachelor’s projects often resulted in peer-reviewed publications).

Former group members

• Joe Money (exchange PhD student: 2022; funded by Polish National Science Center)
• Ramsy Agha (postdoc: 2014-2021; funded by Humboldt Research Fellowship and DFG Individual Research Grant).
• Kingsly Chuo Beng (postdoc: 2021; funded by International IGB Fellowship Program). After IGB postdoc: Postdoc at Alfred-Wegener-Institut AWI, Germany
• Agata Owczarz (Erasmus student: 2021)
• Ursula Newen (technical assistant: 2014-2021)
• Stilianos Mavrianos (Erasmus student: 2021)
• Antonia Aalders (MSc student: 2021)
• Nele Guttmann (BSc student: 2021). After BSc: MSc at FU Berlin
• Marcin Dziuba (exchange PhD student: 2018 and 2020; funded by DAAD and Polish National Science Center). After PhD: Postdoc at University of Michigan
• Louise Seemann (BSc student: 2020). MSc thesis contributed to the following publication: Manzi, Seemann et al. 2021, Parasitology.
• Marc Wagner (MSc student: 2020)
• Mellery Dundr (BSc student: 2020)
• Jessica Jarecki (BSc student: 2020)
• Charlotte Schampera (MSc student: 2020). MSc thesis resulted in the following publication: Schampera et al. 2021, Environmental Pollution. After MSc: research assistant at the IGB and PhD student at HU Berlin
• Nesar Ghadernezhad (MSc student: 2019)
• Thijs Frenken (postdoc: 2018-2019; funded by International IGB Fellowship Program). After IGB postdoc: Postdoc at NIOO, Netherlands.
• Bruno Kenji Ortiz-Cañavate Ozeki (MSc student: 2018). MSc thesis resulted in the following publication: Ortiz-Cañavate et al. 2019, Chemosphere
• Manja Saebelfeld (PhD student: 2014-2017). PhD thesis available here. After PhD: postdoc at the Wageningen University, the Netherlands
• Dilara Ogretmen (Erasmus student: 2016-2017)
• Melanie Gerphagnon (postdoc: 2016-2017; funded by International IGB Fellowship Program)
• Tatiana Semanova (postdoc: 2017; funded by International IGB Fellowship Program). After IGB postdoc: Postdoc at the University of Kansas
• Yari Osenberg (BSc student: 2016)
• Alina Gross (MSc student: 2016). MSc thesis contributed to the following publications: Agha, Gross et al. 2018, Parasitology; Agha, Gross et al. 2018, Frontiers in Microbiology. After MSc: Biology teacher.
• Enrique Gonzalez Tortuero (PhD student: 2013-2016). PhD thesis available here. After PhD: Postdoc at University College Cork, Ireland
• Johanna Griebel (PhD student: 2012-2016). PhD thesis available here. After PhD: Data scientist in a private company in Munich, Germany
• Christin Manthey (BSc student: 2015). BSc thesis contributed to the following publication: Agha, Manthey et al. 2016, Scientific Reports. After BSc/MSc: PhD student at FU Berlin
• Jakub Rusek (PhD student: 2012-2015). PhD thesis available here. After PhD: Coordinator at European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), Brussels, Belgium
• Inbar Maayan (Erasmus student: 2014). Project contributed to the following publications: Gonzalez-Tortuero, Maayan et al. 2016, Zoology; Gonzalez-Tortuero, Maayan et al. 2016, Parasites & Vectors. After Erasmus project: PhD student at Harvard University
• Sabine Giessler (postdoc: 2012-2014)
• Amanda Navas Faria (MSc student: 2013). Winner of the 7th LMU EES annual conference: best presentation of the MSc Project. MSc thesis contributed to the following publication: Griebel, Navas Faria et al. 2015, PLoS one. After MSc: PhD student at Georg-August-University Göttingen
• Gokce Ayan (MSc student: 2013). Poster prize at the international SEFS conference in Münster, 2013. MSc thesis contributed to the following publication: Rusek, Ayan et al. 2015, Journal of Plankton Research. After MSc: PhD student at the Max Planck Institute, Kiel
• Felicitas Buchberger (MSc student: 2013). After MSc: PhD student at LMU Munich
• Monika Poxleitner (MSc student: 2012). Winner of the 6th EES annual conference: best presentation of the MSc Project. MSc thesis contributed to the following publication: Griebel, Poxleitner et al. 2015, PLoS one. After MSc: PhD student at LMU Munich
• Mingbo Yin (PhD student: 2009-2011). Winner of the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Students Abroad. PhD thesis available here. After PhD: Assistant Professor at Fudan University, Shanghai, China
• Stefanie Weigl (Diploma student: 2011). Diploma thesis resulted in the following publication: Weigl et al. 2012, Parasitology. After Diploma: MSc student at TU Munich
• Isara Arsiranant (Diploma student: 2010). After Diploma: working at Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center in Thailand
• Olivia Hesse (Diploma student: 2010). Diploma thesis resulted in the following publication: Hesse et al. 2012, BMC Ecology. After Diploma: PhD student at LMU Munich
• Wolfgang Engelbrecht (Diploma student: 2010). After Diploma: PhD student at LMU Munich
• Jennifer Lohr (MSc student: 2009). MSc thesis resulted in the following publications: Lohr et al. 2010, Parasitology; Lohr et al. 2010, J Eukaryotic Microbiology. After MSc: PhD student at University of Fribourg, Switzerland
• Other BSc students: Anna May: 2013; Clarissa Mathieson: 2012; Corinna Sachs: 2012; Helena Macke: 2011; Felicitas Buchberger: 2011; Eva Kluzik: 2010