After doctoral studies in physics at the University of Cologne he completed his postdoctoral qualification at the University of California, Berekely/USA. After that followed postdoctoral lecture qualification dissertation (Habilitation) within his next position of a stand-in professor in chemical physics at Bergische University of Wuppertal and an extraordinary professorship at University of Cologne. Since 2012 he is professor at the University of Kassel. His research focuses are high resolution terahertz and infrared spectroscopy, molecules, radicals and ions of astrophysical interest, IR-spectroscopy on carbon clusters in supersonic jet, development of spectroscopic techniques (OPO laser system).