Profile
I study how geological structure shapes groundwater flow, recharge, and transport in karst and fractured-porous systems. My work combines process-based numerical modelling and simulation with experiments, field evidence, analytical approaches, and open scientific software.
Tenured Scientist (Científico Titular), IDAEA–CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
Privatdozent (PD Dr. habil.) in Hydrogeology, University of Göttingen, Germany
President, German Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH)
Research trajectory
Numerical models translate fine-scale physics into aquifer- and catchment-scale representations.
Early training in geosciences focused on structural geology, rock properties, pore-space analysis, and field and laboratory methods. Diploma research then shifted toward hydrogeology and large-scale modelling of karst aquifers.
Questions raised by aquifer-scale models led my doctoral work at Göttingen and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory toward pore-scale numerical simulation and the development of Lagrangian meshfree particle methods, particularly Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH).
Today, I combine process-resolving numerical methods, continuum and dual-domain representations, network models, field evidence, and aquifer-scale simulations to connect fracture-surface dynamics, matrix exchange, and recharge with groundwater and catchment response under climatic and water-use pressures.
Curriculum vitae
Appointments
Permanent research appointment at the Spanish National Research Council in Barcelona.
ERC-funded appointment within the Synergy Grant KARST, leading the development of openKARST and contributing scientific software across the project.
Continuing academic status following the Habilitation.
Research and teaching in Applied Geology; B.Sc., M.Sc., and PhD supervision; coordination within the international M.Sc. programme and its hydrogeology modules; externally funded proposal development and PI responsibilities.
Including research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Qualifications
Postdoctoral academic qualification and appointment as Privatdozent (PD).
Pore-scale flow and development of Lagrangian meshfree particle methods.
Unsaturated multi-continuum modelling of karst aquifers.
Structural geology, rock properties, and pore-space analysis.
Research leadership
Lead development of openKARST and scientific-software contributions across the ERC Synergy Grant KARST.
Developed substantial parts of the proposal and scientific concept, coordinated contributions from partners in Germany, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, and contributed to project supervision.
Fracture-network topology and its relationship to dual-domain model parameterization.
Characterisation and modelling of multi-compartment karst systems through integrated spring-signal interpretation.
PhD supervision and research on large-scale karst-aquifer modelling, contributing to the system-scale work published in 2023.
Development of a cross-scale SPH model for flow and transport in unsaturated fractured-porous media.
Full proposal development followed by PhD supervision during the second half of the project.
Teaching & supervision
Teaching across hydrogeology, scientific programming, field methods, and groundwater modelling; coordination of two M.Sc. modules; supervision across B.Sc., M.Sc., and PhD research. Teaching & supervision record
Academic service
German Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH).
German Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH).
Convening and co-convening scientific sessions, doctoral examination committees, external thesis assessment, and degree-programme accreditation.