After studying how division of labour is regulated by queen pheromones in ants and in the honey bee, I became interested in honey bee health. I study the factors that determine colony health in honey bees at the Swiss Bee Research Center in Bern. I consider the effects of environment, human management and pathogens (such as parasites, viruses and pathogenic bacteria) and their interactions.
2008-now
Senior scientist, leader of the pathology team, Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux, Bern, Switzerland.
2010-2016
Privat-Docent, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
2010-2013
Qianjiang Foreign expert in association with Zhejiang University, China.
2009-2016
Extra-ordinary lecturer, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
2008
Per procurationem professor, team leader General Zoology, Zoology Institute, Halle University, Germany.
2002-2008
Post-doc Fellow, University of Pretoria, South Africa; in the research team of Pr. R. Crewe, Vice-Principal. Funded by the University of Pretoria, the National Research Foundation of South Africa, the Volkswagen-Stiftung and the WTZ cooperation program between the Universities of Pretoria and Halle, Germany.
Research topic: Parasitism and reproduction in the honeybees of Southern Africa: population and pheromonal dynamics.
1998-2002
Ph.D., Würzburg University, Germany; under the supervision of Pr. B. Hölldobler. Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
Research topic: Evolution of the social regulation mechanism of reproductive division of labour in ants.
1994-95
M.Sc., Insect behaviour - Paris 13 University, Villetaneuse, France; under the supervision of Dr. C. Peeters.
Research topic: Regulation of reproduction in a primitive ant.
1993-94
Hons. Natural Sciences - University Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg, France
1990-93
B.Sc. Natural Sciences - University Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg, France
