I did my PhD at the GIScience group of the Heidelberg University (magna cum laude): "Participatory Geographic Information for Disaster Risk Reduction - Sketch Maps can Visualize Flood Risk Perception". I was part of the Waterproofing Data Project (https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/schoolforcross-facultystudies/igsd/waterproofingdata/) with a focus on flood related participatory mapping.

At the GIScience group, I continued working as a postdoctoral researcher in the LOKI project (https://www.geog.uni-heidelberg.de/gis/LOKI_en.html), where I was part of developing participatory damage mapping of earthquakes.

I started the idea of a Sketch Map Tool during my PhD and within the Waterproofing Data Project. Now it is a global service maintained by the HeiGIT: https://sketch-map-tool.heigit.org/. It enables to visualize local knowledge in an efficient way and combines the advantages of analogue and digital participatory sketch mapping.

In 2023, I started working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Turku in the Sustainable Landscape Systems Research Group (https://sites.utu.fi/landscape/) in the GreenPlace project (https://sites.utu.fi/greenplace/). I investigated the use of 3D participatory mapping in urban planning as well as how green urban infrastructure influences human well-being. Now, I'm part of the Digital Waters project (https://digitalwaters.fi/), and I focus on flood risk perception and how adequate risk communication can reduce the effect of flood hazards. I work with participatory methods and my research also includes the aspect of nature-based solutions within natural hazard management.

I'm teaching in the field of participatory mapping, citizen engagement and geoinformatics. I focus mostly on use cases within urban planning and disaster risk management.