Scientific interests:

• Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs)
• The star cluster - dwarf galaxy interface
• The inner workings of compact stellar systems, in particular central massive black holes
• Extragalactic Astronomy, in particular wide-field imaging surveys (e.g. with DECam, VST and VISTA).

I was chief organizer of two international ESO workshops:

Dynamics of Low-Mass Stellar Systems in 2011, with Mark Gieles.
Satellites and Streams in Santiago in 2015, with Andreas Kuepper.

I have supervised five ESO PhD students. If you are interested in pursueing an undergraduate research project or your PhD thesis related to one of the topics above at ESO Vitacura, please contact me. ESO PhD studentships are offered twice per year with application deadlines in May and November. Collaborations with Chilean universities and institutes in all ESO member states are possible and welcome.

Publication list from ADS and arXiv

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• My PhD thesis
  "Surface Brightness fluctuation measurements of dwarf elliptical galaxies in nearby galaxy clusters"
  (March 2005, University of Bonn. Supervisors Prof. K.S. de Boer, Prof. L. Infante, Dr. M. Hilker)

• My CV