1996–2005: Studies in Political Sciences, Psychology, Economics and Law, Heidelberg University, Germany (Master of Arts)
2010: Dr., Heidelberg University, Germany
Doctoral Thesis: Ursachen des Zweiten Geburtenrückgangs und Perspektiven einer nachhaltigen Familienpolitik. Ein verschiedene Theorien integrierender Erklärungsansatz und dessen empirische Überprüfung im OECD-Länder-Vergleich 1970–2006 [Causes of Birth Decline and Perspectives of Family Policy. An Interdisciplinary Theoretical Approach and Its Empirical Evidence in OECD Countries 1970–2006]
2019: Habilitation, Venia Legendi for the subject "Sociology", Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany
Habilitation Treatise: Fertilität, Familie, Gesellschaft und Politik. Wechselwirkungen zwischen familialem Handeln und gesellschaftlichen Strukturen [Fertility, family, society and politics. Interdependencies between family acting and social structures]
Professional Background
1996–2006: Owner and Manager of a Catalogue Selling Business
2007–2009: Scientific Assistant at the German Federal Parliament, Berlin, Germany
2009–2011: Scientific Coordinator of the Group “Future with Children” established at Leopoldina – German National Academy of Sciences and BBAW, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
Since 2011: Senior Researcher at the Federal Institute for Population Research, Wiesbaden, Germany
Since 2015: Research Director, Head of the Area “Family and Fertility” at the Federal Institute for Population Research, Wiesbaden, Germany
Since 2020: Deputy Director at the Federal Institute for Population Research, Wiesbaden, Germany
Since 2022: Full Professor for Medical Sociology and Family Sociology at the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Germany
Memberships and Activities in Scientific Associations
Since 2011: Member of the German Society for Demography (DGD)
Since 2012: Member of the European Association for Population Studies (EAPS)
Since 2012: Member of the German Sociology Association (DGS)
2012–2020 Member of the German Political Science Association (DVPW)
Since 2013: Member of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP)
Since 2016: Member of the Population Association of America (PAA)
Reviewing Activities
Scientific Journals: Advances in Life Course Research; Scientific Reports; Comparative Population Studies; Demography; European Journal of Population; International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy; Journal of Family Research; Journal of Marriage and Family; Journal of Medical Internet Research; Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde; Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie; Population Studies; Scientific Reports; Social Science Computer Review; Social Science & Medicine – Population Health; Soziale Welt; Studies of Transition States and Societies; Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung; Women's Studies International Forum; Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie; Zeitschrift für Familienforschung – Journal of Family Research; Zeitschrift für Soziologie
Consulting Experience
2012–2013: Member of expert committee on “strengthening a family’s solidarity” for demographic strategy of the German Federal Government
2010–2012: Expert reports on “family policy and fertility rate” and “birth behavior in Germany” for the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
2013–2015: Concept and scientific consulting for the dossier “family policies” by the German Federal Agency for Civic Education
2013 and 2016: Expert reports on the effect of the parental allowance and the flexible two-earner model for Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
2016: Expert of the committee of enquiry of the State Parliament Northrhine-Westfalia on the future of family policies in Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany
Since 2016: Member of expert committee on “key parameters of a reproductive medicine act” at the German National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina
Since 2018: Advisory board of the Bundesforum Familie (network of 120 social member organizations operating nationwide)
2018-2019: Permanent guest in the Scientific Advisory Board for Family Issues of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
Since 2020: Member of the scientific advisory board for Family Issues of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
Since 2024: Member of the methodological advisory board of the "Health in Germany" panel of the Robert Koch Institute
Scholarships, Grants and Awards
2014: Funding by the Bertelsmann Stiftung (PI)
2017-2019: Funding by the European Commission GGP-5D (Co-PI with 8 colleagues, network coordinator Anne Gauthier) 2,0 mill. euros
2020-2024: Funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (network coordinator; PI zusammen mit Norbert F. Schneider, Tobias Gummer, Christof Wolf, Karsten Hank) 12,5 mill. euros
2021: European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC) Award, in the category “personality” (ELFAC: European family association with consultative status at the United Nations (ECOSOC))
2022–2025: Funding by the European Commission GGP-5D, HORIZON-INFRA-2021-DEV-02 Developing and consolidating the European research infrastructures landscape, maintaining global leadership (Co-PI with 6 colleagues, network coordinator Anne Gauthier) 3,0 mill. euros
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