I specialize in carbon credit certifications for e.g. improved cookstoves (Verra) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health outcomes. In a pilot project, we co-developed SDG claims, aiming to empower local communities—especially women.

As the Director of Tui'k Ruch'Lew, a Maya Tz'utujil environmental NGO, I led sustainable development initiatives, focused on improving community health and environmental resilience, e.g. ICS, biodigesters, micro savings and clean water.

During my time teaching at Universidad del Valle, I focused on implementing modern and innovative teaching methods that engage students and enhance their learning experience. My aim was to foster critical thinking and collaboration among students.

We developed a climate-friendly sanitation pilot project in Santa Catarina Palopó, Guatemala. Most of the human excreta end up in Lake Atitlán - the thrid biggest freshwater lake in Central America. With an estimated 1.5 mio cubic meter of sewage entering every year, the lake has little chances to survive without some sanitation solution.

Together with friends, we started the fossil fuel divestment movement in Switzerland. Our initiative aimed to raise awareness about the financial and environmental implications of fossil fuel investments, advocating for a transition to sustainable energy sources that align with global climate goals.

#FossilFree

Investigating historical wind directions in the deserts of Australia, we focused our research on the Simpson Desert, which served as our final destination and a literal dead end due to flooding in the desert, forcing us to turn back. Our goal was to uncover past wind patterns by examining the magnetic properties of the sand.

Caving is one of my passions. As a researcher at ETH Zurich, I had the opportunity to do several caving expeditions as part of paleoclimatic studies. We investigated stalactites to unlock the secrets of past climate.

We made bacteria dance around a simple kitchen magnet. This magnetic sensor gave them the name Magnetotactic bacteria. These bacteria use der Earth's magnetic filed to navigate in the water.

Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates. Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climate was like, we use special markers, such as ostracod, foraminifera, formed in history to interpret paleoclimate.

As a researcher at the GFZ Potsdam, I had the opportunity to join a deep-sea drilling campaign. We drilled sediment cores on the shores of Namibia, Angola and Gabon. What an adventure!

I attended a scientific diving expedition at the Aeolian Islands, southern Italy, where we learned how to do research underwater. What a great adventure! Mapping the seafloor, profiling littoral geology, locating and marking objects, and sampling rocks and soil.

Ostracods are common microfossils found in almost all marine and freshwater habitats. Their biology and shell geochemistry provides a wide array of useful information about paleoclimate and hydrological information.