Researcher at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. Author of many international papers. He studies crustal deformation and past earthquakes using geophysical, geological, and remote sensing techniques with a focus on paleoseismology and tectonic geomorphology. His study areas comprise extensional settings like Germany, the USA, Spain, Peru, and Greece, and areas of active shortening in Central Asia. He is also interested in tsunami studies and archaeogeophysics.