
People

Dr. Alfredo Martínez García
Group Leader
-
Group Leader, Organic Isotope Geochemistry group, Climate Geochemistry Department, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, tenured (W2) since 2015.
-
Senior Researcher (SNF Ambizione fellow) at ETH Zürich (2012-2015)
-
Visiting Scholar at Princeton University (2014).
-
Postdoctoral Research Associate at ETH Zürich (2009-2012)
-
PhD, Autonomous University of Barcelona (2005-2009). Thesis: On the role of the Southern Ocean in Plio-Pleistocene Climate Evolution.
-
Diploma (Licenciatura) in Environmental Sciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2000-2004)

Dr. Florian Rubach
Mass-Spectrometer Manager
-
Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz (2016), Germany.
-
Postdoctoral Researcher, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (2013-2016)
-
PhD Environmental Chemistry, Bergische Universität Wuppertal and Forschungszentrum Jülich (2013)
-
Diploma Chemistry​, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (2010)
​​
Tasks:
-
Instrument operation and maintenance
-
Developement and refinement of analythical methods
-
Design and construction of new analythical devices

Barbara Hinnenberg
Laboratory Technical Staff
Tasks:
-
Bacteria cultures (Pseudomonas chlororaphis and Pseudomonas aureofaciens)
-
Bacteria growth media preparation
-
Isotopic Standards
-
N isotope protocols and sample analysis
-
Lab Organization

Mareike Schmitt
Laboratory Technical Staff
-
MSc Geoscience, Johannes Gutenberg Universität (2018)
-
BSc Geoscience, Johannes Gutenberg Universität (2015)
​​
Tasks:
-
Gas Chromatography Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-IRMS)
-
Gas Chromatography (GC)
-
High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
-
Biomarker protocols and sample analysis
-
Lab Organization

Dr. Alan Foreman
Postdoc
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2017-current), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
PhD, University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2017)
-
MSc Geology, University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography
-
BSc Chemistry and Earth Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
-
BSc Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Tina Lüdecke
Emmy Noether Group Leader
-
Emmy Noether Group Leader (2021-present), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2020-2021), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2017-2020), Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Centre, Frankfurt, Germany.
-
Research associate (2017-present), University of Oxford, England
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2016-2017), New York University (NYU), USA
-
PhD, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany (2016)
​
*Visit Tina's website for more details about her research

Dr. Jennifer Leichliter
Postdoc
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2021-Present) HoMeCo Group,, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2018-2021), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
-
Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher (2018-Present), Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
-
PhD Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA (2018)
-
MA Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA (2011)
-
BSc Biological Anthropology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA (2008)

Dr. Maayan Yehudai
Postdoc
-
Minerva Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-current), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.
-
PhD, Columbia University, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (2020)
-
MSc Oceanography, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (2014)
-
BSc Geology, BenGurion University of the Negev, Israel (2011)​
​​
*Visit Maayan's website for more details about her research

Dr. Simone Moretti
PhD student and Postdoc
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2021-current), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
PhD Student (2017-2021), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
MSc (2016), Earth Science Department, ETH Zurich
-
BSc (2014), University of Bologna, Italy

Dr. Xuyuan (Ellen) Ai
PhD student and Postdoc
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2023-current), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany, and Princeton University, USA.
-
PhD, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University (2023).​
-
MA, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University (2017)
-
BSc Environmental Science, University of Science and Technology of China

Tanja Wald
PhD student and Postdoc
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2023-current), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
PhD Student (2019-2023), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
MSc Geoscience, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Johannes Gutenberg Universität (2018), Mainz
-
BSc Geoscience, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Johannes Gutenberg Universität (2016),

Jonathan Jung
PhD Student
-
PhD Student (2022-current), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
MSc Environmental Science, Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Science, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (2021)
-
BSc Geoscience, Institute for Gescience, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (2019).
Former Lab Members

Dr. Nic Duprey
Former Postdoc
-
Since 2024, tenured CNRS Research Scientist (Chargé de Recherche), Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin.
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2017-2024), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2013-2016), SWIRE, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
-
PhD, Department of Environmental Sciences, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (2012), Paris, France.​
-
MSc Ecology of Littoral Ecosystems (2009), Université de La Rochelle/Universidad de Costa Rica.
-
BSc Biology, Department of Biology, Université de La Rochelle (2007), La Rochelle, France.
​
*Visit Nic's website for more details about his research

Dr. Alexandra Auderset
Former PhD Student and Post Doc
-
Since 2025 tenured Lecturer at the University of Southampton
-
Senior Research Fellow, University of Southampton (2022-2025)
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2020-2022), Princeton University and Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.
-
PhD Student (2016-2020), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany and ETH Zurich, Switzerland.​
-
MSc (2015), Earth Science Department, ETH Zurich
-
BSc (2013), Earth Science Department, ETH Zurich
​
*Visit Alex's website for more details about her research

Paul Zander
Former Postdoc
-
Since 2024 Postoctoral Researcher Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2022-2024), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2021-2022) University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
-
PhD (2021), University of Bern
-
Research Technician (2015-2017), University of Arizona, Geosciences Department, Tucson, USA.​
​
*Visit Paul's website for more details about his research

Dr. François Fripiat
Former Postdoc
-
Since 2019 tenured Assistant Professor at the Laboratoire de Glaciologie of the Université Libre de Bruxelles
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2016-2019), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
Postdoctoral fellow (2013-2016), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
-
Postdoctoral research associate (2010-2013), Princeton University, Princeton, USA
-
PhD (2010), Université Libre de Bruxelles
​
*Visit François's website for more details about his research

Dr. Anja Studer
Former Postdoc
-
Since 2018 Research Associate, University of Basel, Switzerland
-
Postdoctoral Researcher (2015-2018), Climate Geochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.​
-
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Geosciences Department, Princeton University (2013-2015)
-
PhD, Geological Institute, ETH Zurich (2013)
​
*Visit Anja's website for more details about her current research
