• Short CV

    I am Professor of Biosphere–Atmosphere Interactions at the University of Münster. My research focuses on the fundamental processes governing the exchange of carbon, water, and energy between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, and their role in the Earth’s climate system. A major focus of my work is understanding how ecosystems respond to climate extremes such as droughts, heatwaves, air pollution, and wildfires, and how these disturbances affect ecosystem functioning, resilience, and recovery. I investigate how forests, wetlands, peatlands, urban environments, and restored landscapes respond to global environmental change and how these responses feed back to climate and the carbon cycle.

    In my research I combine direct field observations with state-of-the-art modelling approaches, including eddy covariance measurements, ecophysiological measurements, environmental sensor networks, remote sensing, statistical modelling, and machine-learning techniques. My goal is to improve the mechanistic understanding of ecosystem–climate interactions, enhance predictions of ecosystem responses under climate change, and provide scientific knowledge that supports climate mitigation, ecosystem restoration, and adaptation strategies.

    Research interests: 

    Biosphere–Atmosphere Interactions

    Carbon Cycle Dynamics

    Greenhouse gas fluxes and budgets (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O)

    Ecosystem–Climate Feedbacks

    Climate Extremes and Ecosystem Resilience

    Drought and Heatwaves

    Water–Carbon Coupling

    Eddy Covariance and micrometeorology

    Forest Ecophysiology

    Ecosystem Restoration and Rewetting

    Phenology and Climate Interactions

    Remote Sensing and Earth Observation

    Ecosystem Modelling and Data Synthesis

    Fire ecology and modelling

    Global Change Drivers

    Urban climate

    For a list of current and completed research projects see here.

    Education

    05/2014  PhD Ecohydrology, University of Sydney, Australia
    12/2009 MSc Forest Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Germany
    02/2007 BSc Agricultural Engineering (Soil and Water), University of Tehran, Iran

    Appointments 

    since 12/2025 Full Professor of Biosphere-Atmosphere Interaction, University of Münster, Germany
    03/2022-​ 12/ 2025 (Tenure-Track) Associate Professor of Biosphere-Atmosphere Interaction, University of Münster, Germany
    09/2017-​ 02/2022   

    Lecturer and Senior Scientist, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
    05/2014 – 09/2017

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biogeochemistry, University of Sydney, Australia

    Teaching

    See here for teaching at the University of Münster.

    Teaching at former institutes:

    • Agrarwissenschaftliches Labor – und Methodenpraktikum (Übung), at ETH Zürich (BSc)
    • Global Change Biology (seminars), at ETH Zürich (MSc)
    • Bushfire Ecology (lectures/ practicals), at University of Sydney (BSc)
    • Introductory Statistics (practicals), at University of Sydney (BSc)
    • Environmental GIS (practicals), at University of Sydney (BSc)
    • Water Resource Management (practicals), at University of Sydney (MSc)

     

    BSc and MSc Theses Supervision

    See list of completed thesis projects here.

     

  • Publications

    link to my publications...