Medical Biodiversity and Parasitology

Team

Head

Mitarbeiterfoto
Prof. Dr. Sven Klimpel
Professor, Head of Research Group 'Medical Biodiversity and Parasitology'

Research interests

My primary research interest is the ecology, evolution and host-parasite co-evolution of aquatic (limnic, marine) and terrestrial protozoan/metazoan parasites and pathogens (e.g. viruses, bacteria, fungi). I am particularly interested in how changes in environmental conditions influence dispersal and migration of parasites/pathogens and their intermediate hosts/vectors. My work integrates a variety of disciplines, such as phylogenetics, systematics, ecology, ichthyology, zoogeography, oceanography, genomics and population genetics. In our lab we combine traditional morphological with up to date molecular techniques.

Student opportunities
Various research projects for MSc and BSc students as well as for short internships are available all year round. They range from field studies, lab experiments/analyses to literature-based meta-analytical approaches. Please contact me for more details.

Short CV
Since 2010 Professor at the Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) and the Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity
2004 – 2010 Research Group Leader “Aquatic and Terrestrial Parasitology”
2008 Habilitation in Zoology (Associate Professor), funded by the DFG, DAAD, EU
2004 Research Associate, Institute of Zoomorphology, Cell Biology and Parasitology, Heinrich-Heine University
2003 PhD in Life Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.)
2001 – 2003 Research Associate, Leibniz-Institute of Marine Sciences (IfM-Geomar)
2000 – 2002 Young Research Group Leader “Marine Pathology”
2000 Diploma in Biology (Dipl. Biol.)
1999 Research Associate, Federal Research Centre for Fisheries
1995 – 2000 Studies of Biology at the University of Kiel (field of studies: parasitology, zoology, marine and fishery biology, oceanography, biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology)

Editorial Experience
2008 – dato Editor in Chief – Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
2008 – dato Subject Editor  – Parasitology Research
2009 – dato Wissenschaftlicher Beirat – Bulletin of Fish Biology

Publications

Dr. Sarah Cunze
PostDoc
Dr. Lisa Koch
PostDoc
Mitarbeiterfoto
Dr. Judith Kochmann
PostDoc, Member of Research Group 'Medical Biodiversity and Parasitology'

Research Interest

My main research interest lies in aquatic ecology, with a focus on marine coastal ecosystems and non-indigenous species. More specifically, I am interested in the patterns and processes of biological invasions, including changes in biotic interactions, population structure and genetic diversity of invasive and native species.
I obtained my PhD in Environmental Biology from University College Dublin where I worked in the field of sustainable aquaculture, more specifically on the spread of the Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas). The research included various methods (large-scale surveying, field experiments and molecular work) and resulted in various collaborative projects.
At Senckenberg BiK-F, I still enjoy and value the use of different approaches to study various aspects of native and alien species in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Thus, I was previously involved in studies on the invasive round goby Neogobius melanostomus and the invasive amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus in freshwater ecosystems, taking into account their impacts on host-parasite dynamics. I am currently working on distributions of invasive mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus, Ae. aegypti) using ecological niche modelling. Over the last four years I also took on tasks in project management, such as coordinating the International Graduate School IMPact-Vector funded by the Leibniz-Association.

Links
Judith Kochmann at ResearchGate

Dr. Antje Steinbrink
PostDoc
Katharina Alt
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Medical Biodiversity and Parasitology'
Dorian Dörge
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Medical Biodiversity and Parasitology'
Fanny Eberhard
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Medical Biodiversity and Parasitology'
Norbert Peter
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Medical Biodiversity and Parasitology'
Chinhda Xoumpholphakdy
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Medical Biodiversity and Parasitology'