Curriculum Vitae

Current and Previous Positions

since 06/2026 Assistant professor (tenure track), Institute of Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Austria
2024 -2026 Principal investigator (FWF - Elise-Richter), Institute of Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Austria
2020-2023 Principal investigator (FWF - Hertha-Firnberg), Institute of Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Austria
2017-2020 Post-doctoral researcher, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Denmark
2013-2017 University Assistant, Institute of Applied Physics, TU Wien, Austria

Education

Research interests

Molecular Physics / Astrophysics / Biophysics: optical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, photophysics of (bio)molecules, molecular dynamics, molecular relaxation processes, diffuse interstellar bands
Cold physics: cluster formation, helium nanodroplets
Atomic / Ion physics: highly charged ions, atomic relaxation processes, charge exchange and energy loss processes, atomic collisions (ion-atoms/molecules)
Surface Physics: ion-surface interaction processes, surface-nanostructuring, 2D materials, high resolution imaging techniques (AFM, TEM, STEM)

Fellowships, honors and awards

2026: Hans and Walter Thirring Award (ÖAW)
2025: Wallenberg Academy Fellow
2025: Young Scientist Prize of the Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Division (AMOPD) of the European Physical Society (EPS)
2025: FWF-ASTRA Award on "CATCH - Chemical activity in charged helium droplets"
2024: FWF-Elise-Richter Grant on "Messenger spectroscopy of C60 analogues"
2023: Grant of the Tiroler Wissenschaftsförderung on "Spectroscopy of He-tagged photoactive (metal)organic molecules"
2020: FWF-Hertha-Firnberg Grant on "Biomolecular Spectroscopy in Charged Helium Nanodroplets"
2017: Hannspeter-Winter Award 2017 (doctoral dissertation award), TU Wien
2017: Loschmidt-Prize 2017 (doctoral dissertation award), Austrian Chemical-Physical Society
2015, 2016: Scholarship grant of TU Wien for conference participation
2013: Scholarship grant of TU Wien for academic research
2010: Proexcellentia II: Honour for academic performance, South Tyrol, Italy
2007, 2010: Scholarship for academic excellence, South Tyrol, Italy
2006: Proexcellentia I: Honour of the 10 best high-school graduates of South Tyrol, Italy

Teaching experience

WS2025/26, SS2026: Lecture at Universität Innsbruck: VU "Physik für Materialwissenschaftler"
WS2022/23, WS2023/24 and WS2024/25: Lecture at Universität Innsbruck: "Einführung in die Material- und Nanowissenschaften"
SS2023: Laboratory Course - Special Advanced Laboratory Class A: Ion Physics and Applied Physics at Universität Innsbruck
SS2022: Laboratory Course at Universität Innsbruck (Fortgeschrittenen-Praktikum 1)
WS2015/16: Laboratory Course Physics II at TU Wien (Laborpraktikum Physik)

Scientific stays abroad

European XFEL, Hamburg, Germany (one week in June 2023)
Research: Single-electron nanoplasma seeding probed by ultrafast X-ray coherent diffractive imaging.
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Germany, in total 10 weeks (2013-2016)
Research: Charge exchange and energy loss of highly charged ions interacting with 2D materials
Grand Accélérateur National D’Ions Lourds (Ganil) Caen, France, in total 6 weeks (2013- 2015)
Research: Surface nanostructuring by swift heavy and highly charged ions
University Duisburg-Essen, Germany (09/2014);
Research: Surface nanostructuring by highly charged ions; UHV-AFM measurements
University Bielefeld, Germany (02/2013);
Research: HIM (helium ion microscopy) measurements of irradiated carbon nanomembranes

Academic achievements and activities

56 publications in peer-reviewed journals (among them 2 Nat. Comm., 2 JACS, 3 PRL, 1 Adv. Sci.)
>30 talks at international conferences
Since 2012: (Co)-Supervision of Bachelor (10), Master (8) and PhD (4) students
Since October 2022: MC member of the COST Action CA21126 ’NanoSpace’
Refereeing work for international scientific journals
Professional Training: Participation at the Mentoring Programme 2022/23 from the University of Innsbruck;
Outreach activities:
- Invited participant of the panel discussion: Graphen - der neue Wunderstoff in der Wissenschaft, TU Wien (March 16, 2017);
- Invited Talk at the Science Night 2019: Das Wunder des Sehens und der Fotosynthese - Wie die Physik Licht in die Biologie bringt, Algund, South Tyrol, (April 16, 2019);
- Evaluation and Awarding of the Dr. Hans Riegel Fachpreise 2022 for the discipline Physics at the Universität Innsbruck (2022)

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