I have over 20 years of experience in web development, teaching, cancer biology as well as database development and administration. I am seeking a challenge where I can combine my experience in any of these fields with my language skills, potentially working abroad and/or with disadvantaged communities.

I created my first web page in 1995, when the web was mostly text-based and used predominantly for dissemination of academic information. This was followed by several other small sites at universities and for small non-profit organisations, which were mainly created in a text editor with the occasional help from Netscape, Claris Home Page and Dreamweaver. Since 2017 I use responsive design tools. The following web sites are currently online:

aku GmbH: Consulting company. Created using Mobirise, PHP and code editing – since 2018

Haus Ahorn: Guest house. Created using Mobirise and code editing – since 2016

Fliederhof: A boarding house. Created using Mobirise – since 2020 

Freunde Ugandas e.V.: Non-profit organisation. Initially created in iWeb and re-created in Mobirise for responsive design – since 2002

Corona Blog: A personal Corona blog. Created using Mobirise – since 2022

My teaching focuses on the student, their specific needs, their experiences and their immediate goals. If I am teaching a student whose French is acceptable but his confidence is low, I might start cooking with her while making her talk with me. If I teach science, it includes the principles of gaining knowledge and how they can be used universally while performing hands-on work. I applied these prinicples to high school students as well as to my university staff. I strife to instill curiosity in my students and boost independent thinking. I have been teaching for 24 years:

Language tutoring, French, German, Spanish, Arabic – since 2007

Supervision of a post-doctoral fellow, Fred Hutch, Washington – 2005 to 2006  

Instructor at the Institute for Science Training and Research, Seattle, teaching adults about newly emerging biotechnology tools and their applications – 1998 to 2003 

Teaching introductory courses at Garfield High School, Seattle – 1998 to 2001  

Supervision of student interns, University of Washington, Seattle – 1997 to 2015  

Participant in the Outreach Program at University of Washington and later the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, working in family science – 1997 to 2001  

Summer Student Program for students from from disadvantaged families, University of Washington, Seattle – 1995 to 1999  

I design databases from the user's perspective. My databases start small and tailored to a specific project. Those with continued usefulness are redesigned for a larger user base and eventually morph into more conventional databases. During the design process I choose to be close to the user and watch them interact with the interface. This in turn allows me to change interface elements on the fly to accommodate the habitual workflow of an individual or a group. I have been programming databases for 27 years:

FileMaker Go: Expanding existing solutions for access on iPhone and iPad (and the web interface on Android devices), such as databases for specimen inventory with barcode scanning; expenses for data entry at the time of payment; scheduling and invoicing for small medical practices – since 2010

FileMaker Server: Porting existing databases to server-based solutions for access throughout and outside an organization. These include: biorepository management for 400 000 specimens from 6000 patients; gene and protein expression management; invoicing of specimens; laboratory results tracking – since 1999

FileMaker Pro: Professional ad-hoc solutions for laboratory personnel, including databases for oligonucleotides, tissue sources and DNA microarray data – since 1997

MS Access: Adaptation of existing contacts databases for ease-of-use in public relation offices (DKFZ Heidelberg) – 1993 to 1994

I have received formal training in molecular genetics, which I applied to cancer biomarkers and to the generation of tools that benefit the discoveries. During my career, I progressed from bench scientist to manager while taking on additional responsibilities including a clinical marker laboratory and a specimen repository. I wrote and co-wrote 42 successfully funded grant proposals and I authored 30 research papers. My professional scientific career spans 16 years:

Consultant for Biotechnology Companies and Academic Institutions: Cancer biomarkers, management of databases, specimen repositories – 2016 to 2017

Staff Scientist, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle: Management of blood assay development, a CLIA-certified marker testing laboratory and a specimen repository. Creation and management of databases, supervision of research projects and personnel, writing of grant proposals, reports and publications; liaison between bench scientists and clinical personnel at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle – 2005 to 2015  

Scientist 2, MacroGenics Inc. Rockville, MD: Development of cancer biomarkers using mass spectrometry and DNA tools; management of company IT infrastructure; creation and administration of research-specific databases; writing of small business grant proposals – 2001 to 2005  

Senior Scientist, Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle: Supervision of research projects and personnel for ovarian cancer biomarker discovery; writing of grant proposals, reports and publications – 2000 to 2001  

Research Associate, University of Washington, Seattle: Discovery of a blood-based marker for the early detection of ovarian cancer, which is now used clinically – 1998 to 2000  

Post Doctoral Fellow in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA – 1995 to 1998

Trainee, Public Relations, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany – 1995

Trainee, Public Relations Office, German Cancer Society, Frankfurt/Main, Germany – 1994

PhD in Molecular Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany – 1994

Visiting Scientist, Department of Zoology, University of Geneva, Switzerland – 1993 to 1994

Research Associate, Center of Molecular Neurobiology, University of Hamburg, Germany – 1991 to 1993

Graduate Student, Center for Molecular Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany – 1991 to 1994

Diploma in Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany – 1991

Research Student, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel – 1989

Research Associate, Center for Molecular Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany – 1988 to 1991

Research Student, Department of Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany – 1986 to 1988

A list of my 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and invited talks, as well as one patent and one invention is available upon request.

Fluent in English, French and German. Reading and simple conversations in Spanish, Italian and Arabic. Reading and basic understanding of Dutch, Portuguese, Modern Greek and Modern Hebrew. Familiarity with Hungarian, Serbian, Chinese and Danish.

Member of the board of the Ladenburg chapter of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) – since 2019

Active in Seattle Greenways for a bicycle-safe Seattle – 2018-2019

Weekend barista at a high-end French patisserie in Seattle – 2017

Performances (voice and guitar) in small local venues in the Seattle area – 2000 to 2018

Financial officer of my condominium association in Seattle – 2005 to 2019

Member of a developmental aid association and microbank benefitting women in Uganda – since 2015

Member of a charitable organisation benefiting people with AIDS (Mannheim and Seattle) – 1992 to 2012

Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Student Newspaper Ruprecht (formerly "Schlagloch"), University of Heidelberg, Germany – 1987 to 1989