Aging is complex. Over the last years I have focused on epidemiology of aging, which includes getting a better understanding on how to address and consider heterogeneity of older adults in different research questions like the determination of biomarkers reference values for older adults as well as the treatment of medical conditions such as arterial hypertension. Currently I am focusing on the concepts of biological age and frailty, and contrasting them with respect to the characterization of heterogeneity among older adults as part of the Collaborative Research Center "Aging at Interfaces" at the Ulm University in Germany (https://www.uni-ulm.de/en/einrichtungen/sfb-1506-aging-at-interfaces/). The role of diverse biomarkers such as high sensitive Troponins, Brain Natriuretic Peptides, GDF-15 and Cystatin C, as risk predictors for cardiovascular events, aging related comorbidities (falls, fractures, cognitive dysfunction), frailty and mortality and the possible presence of effect modifiers for these associations are also relevant questions of interest. In addition, the evaluation of strategies to prevent sedentary behavior as well as the onset of delirium in older adults in the settings of clinical trials has also been an important area of research. As part of the EU-Project JOIN4JOY we are developing an intervention to promote physical activity among nursing home patients (https://www.join4joy.eu/).

Examining the heterogeneity of aging requires an interdisciplinary approach, which has allowed me to work and grow personally and professionally with great nurturing cooperation partners. Lastly, teaching and providing mentoring to doctoral and master students has become an important way to create awareness about the complexity of ageing research and provide adequate analytical skills to the coming generation.

I graduated from medical school at the Ruprecht- Karls University of Heidelberg, Germany, trained in Internal Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, and was fellow at the academic fellowship in General Internal Medicine at Boston University Medical Center. I hold a PhD in Epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health. I am currently member at the Society of Epidemiologic research, the German Society of Epidemiology, the German Society of Internal Medicine, and the German and European Geriatrics Society.