Tell us a bit about you, your career path to date and the institution you work for.

I’m a psychologist with a Ph.D. in Cognition and Neuroscience from UT Dallas, US, where my dissertation explored how beta-amyloid affects normal aging using PET imaging to study Alzheimer’s pathology in the living brain. Fascinated by this work, I returned to Germany to collaborate with Alex Drzezga and Thilo van Eimeren on imaging tau pathology across neurodegenerative disease phenotypes. After 15+ years in academia—including a decade as deputy group leader and several years on the Neurology editorial board—I recently shifted into industry, now serving as project manager and clinical lead for neuroinflammation imaging at Life Molecular Imaging, a Lantheus company.

Could you tell us a bit more about the type of research you are working on, and how it relates to AMYPAD/Euro-PAD?

I am currently involved in several PET and MRI imaging projects, including analyses using AMYPAD data. In collaboration with Lyduine Colij, I recently investigated the added value of quantitative beta-amyloid assessment in intermediate and visually ambiguous cases. Our results underscored the critical role of quantification in improving diagnostic confidence, a finding that has contributed to recent regulatory updates in both the EU and US regarding the clinical application of beta-amyloid PET imaging. As an industry partner in Euro-PAD, I help drive new projects across European sites by building strong bridges between academic research and private sector collaboration.

What do you enjoy most about research?

What I value most about research is the scientific community itself—with its remarkable diversity of ideas, experiences, and curiosity. Scientists bring passion not only to their specific fields but also to a wide range of interests beyond their work. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to connect with colleagues worldwide and to learn from their perspectives. Currently, I am exploring a new area of Alzheimer’s disease research, which offers both significant challenges and exciting opportunities to pursue fresh questions and projects.