Team
Get to know the project leaders in the Cluster of Excellence The Martian Mindset
Fluid dynamics
My passion for fluid flows has steered my career from mathematics to engineering through physics. I enjoy research involving theory, computation and experiment with the ambition to understand and predict nonlinear fluid dynamics. As director of ZARM, I am driven to advance space exploration and to provide a solid education for our students.
In The Martian Mindset
I act as spokesperson and contribute my expertise in mathematical modelling, multiphase systems and physicochemical processes in reduced gravity conditions.
I’m looking for curiosity-driven students ready to develop multi-scale models of multiphase flows.
(Photo-)electrochemistry
My fascination for natural photosynthesis guides me as I lead my research group in the design, development and investigation of so-called “artificial,” biomimetic photosynthesis systems. As Professor in Human Space Exploration Technologies and director of ZARM, I aim to pass my curiosity on to students—encouraging creative, out-of-the-box thinking to make not only more Moon, but also Mars landings possible.
In The Martian Mindset
We develop (photo-)electrocatalytic devices for hydrogen and oxygen production as well as dinitrogen and carbon dioxide fixation to contribute to the green energy transition on Earth and the future of human space exploration.
Sourcing 1, Sourcing 2, Sourcing 3, Processing 1, Processing 2
I am looking for enthusiastic students with a background in (electro-)chemistry who are interested in developing and investigating (photo-)electrocatalytic devices for sustainable energy conversion processes.
Astrobiology
My scientific expertise is in astrobiology, specifically microbiology in extreme conditions, including in space, and the habitability of extraterrestrial environments.
In The Martian Mindset
My contribution to the Martian mindset is to provide insight into microbiology and the use of microbes to sustain a human presence in space and on Mars.
I'm looking for students who can bring an interest in microbiology to solving problems in the settlement of Mars including solutions that might be applied on Earth. They include the use of microbes in biomanufacturing and in situ resource use.
Atomic-scale materials modeling
My research interest lies at the boundary among physics, chemistry, biology and engineering, where I strive to understand materials interfaces at the molecular and atomic scale. I simulate materials using quantum mechanical, classical and data-driven methods, and combine simulations with experiments.
In The Martian Mindset
I will lead the Research Area Sourcing and perform molecular dynamics simulations at electrode interfaces and in molten salts.
I am looking for PhD candidates with outstanding academic records and a solid background in materials science, physics, chemistry, engineering or related disciplines, who are interested in applying their skills in the computational analysis of interface phenomena at the molecular level by means of physical and data-driven modelling.
Communications engineering
With enthusiasm for the application of information theory and signal processing I pursued a professional research career in mobile communication industry before joining the University of Bremen as a professor for communication technology and as its director of the Gauss-Olbers Space Technology Transfer Center.
In The Martian Mindset
I will investigate semantic communications to connect humans and machines for the operation of material production technologies on Mars.
We are looking for candidates with enthusiasm and a solid foundation in information, signal, and communication theory, who will design and validate “GenAI-driven” concepts of semantic communications.
Process monitoring
As a measurement system engineer, I work with a holistic approach based on physical modeling, simulation and experiments. Understanding the principle of uncertainty in physics as well as in measurements continues to motivate me to explore and push the limits of measurability.
In The Martian Mindset
I investigate making measurable what is not so today, with a focus on realizing robot-assisted, near-process optical measurements under challenging conditions and assessing the uncertainty. Both are basic necessities for producing with enough-to-use quality on Mars and my key contributions as PI to the Cluster.
You have a background in engineering (electrical, mechanical, mechatronic) or physics, and you are fascinated by optical measurement systems, optics or robot-assisted measurements for the monitoring of particles or surfaces? Feel warmly invited to join our team!
Internet of things
With a focus on communication networks, sensor networks and Internet of Things (IoT), my fundamental research is motivated by real, practical applications and their challenges, such as user friendliness, resilience against faults and threats, and resource efficiency.
In The Martian Mindset
Within a complex environment of many stakeholders (humans, robots, machines) under uncertainty constraints I seek to develop fundamental frameworks and system architectures and make them more sustainable, more resilient, and more user-friendly.
I am looking for enthusiastic young computer scientists and electrical engineers who enjoy working in a team and are eager to not only do top-notch research but also to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Work psychology
My research focus is on High Responsibility teams and human-agent teams. I am passionate about exploring this form of socially relevant and future teamwork with all its antecedents and consequences.
In The Martian Mindset
Human-agent teams will be of great importance to the success of a Mars mission. With my research, I aim to support the relaible and effective collaboration between humans and autonomous agents in complex and extreme environments.
I’m looking for science-loving, learning-oriented and curiosity-driven students ready to create effective human-agent teamwork for future Mars missions.
Polymer chemistry and engineering
Cooperation in search of solutions to help achieve sustainability on Earth from both an ecologic and economic point of view, using basic science and application experience, is my daily work. I work in the chemistry and technology of reactive polymers, including adhesives, coatings and matrix resins.
In The Martian Mindset
Carbon dioxide is one of the few raw materials available on Mars. Its utilization for the synthesis of reactive polymers is one of my current research topics, as a contribution to both sustainability on Earth and the Martian Mindset.
Students eager to understand homogeneous catalysis to prepare polymers from the “almost nothing” raw materials on Mars will feel well in my group.
Human space exploration
I am fascinated by the challenges of living in extreme conditions and have spent 12 month under Mars-like conditions. Since then, my research has centered around enabling not only the survival, but a decent life of humans on Mars and in other extraterrestrial environments. I set up the Moon and Mars Base Analog (MaMBA) laboratory which is the basis for my cooperation with architects, psychologists, natural scientists, materials scientists and engineers.
In The Martian Mindset
As a designated lead for the Demonstrator and member of the Executive Team I am excited to work with our multidisciplinary team to bring the Martian Mindset to life.
I am looking for engineers (space, mechanical, ...) with a keen interest in interdisciplinary work.
Decision psychology
I am a cognitive psychologist interested in understanding how people’s judgment and decision strategies are shaped by the environment and the human cognitive system. In my research I combine a cognitive modeling approach with experimental manipulation and process tracing methods such as eye-tracking.
In The Martian Mindset
My expertise in human judgments and decision processes will contribute to designing the information flow that will enable human decision-makers to reliably operate production facilities with the help of complex information systems and autonomous robots under the harsh and uncertain conditions expected on Mars.
I am looking for motivated students with a background in cognitive psychology and a keen interest in decision-making and human-machine interaction.
Microbial electrochemical technologies
I lead an interdisciplinary team of process engineers, biologists, and chemists working on applied and fundamental research questions in the field of microbial and electrochemical technologies for energy conversion, bioproduction and bioremediation.
In The Martian Mindset
For me, scarcity of natural resources, energy and qualified workforce shaping the Martian Mindset is not only relevant for space exploration, but also dearly needed to sustain our future on Earth. My expertise on microbial electrochemical technologies will be a key enabler of the Research Area Sourcing.
I am looking for motivated and curious individuals who feel comfortable in advancing science at the interface of biology and engineering.
Robotics
My research interest lies in enabling and improving human-robot interaction with a focus on the utilization of implicit interaction paths, which are made understandable for the robot by evaluating multimodal human biosignals using machine learning methods.
In The Martian Mindset
I contribute to the Martian Mindset through my research on human-robot co-adaptation using virtual immersion and analysing human states and intentions from human biosignals and intuitive control through an exoskeleton.
I am looking for students who are fascinated by the idea of natural interaction with robots and want to explore how virtual reality and AI-supported evaluation of biosignals enable immersive and effortless human-robot interaction.
Robotics
I place great emphasis on creating actual systems for a variety of real-world scenarios, from space and underwater robots to exoskeletons for rehabilitation and co-bots for industrial applications, bearing in mind that the best learning framework is useless in a physical system that lacks electrical/mechanical robustness.
In The Martian Mindset
For robots in future space missions, the learning framework will have to be tackled from an integrative perspective comprising classical control theoretical methods as well as data-driven and symbolic methods. In my most recent research, I focus on “integrative artificial intelligence, which will be instrumental in the Martian Mindset for the rovers and their interaction with humans in production tasks.
I am looking for scientists interested in understanding how to build and programme robots that can work in harsh conditions over long periods of time, in order to help and support humans
Polymer chemistry and engineering
I was always fascinated by how chemistry can create something new. Interdisciplinarity is essential to solving the great challenges we are facing, and I particularly enjoy contributing to sustainable material solutions with a research team of chemists, physicists and engineers.
In The Martian Mindset
Our material design approaches aim at fossil-fuel-free materials, taking into account resource and energy efficiency and circularity. That is why I am inspired by the scarcity-driven engineering paradigm of materials and parts on Mars.
I am looking for open-minded students interested in the development of polymeric materials through interdisciplinary processes to address scarcity challenges.
Electrochemistry
I focus in particular, but not exclusively, on the electron and ion transfer at the interface in real environments and the implications of non-ideal particle-particle interactions on the kinetics of electrochemical reactions occurring in energy storage and energy conversion systems.
In The Martian Mindset
The Martian Mindset gives me the unique opportunity to explore systems far from ideality, such as molten salt electrolytes, which will allow me to develop a unified thermodynamic and kinetic description for electrochemical systems.
I am looking for chemical engineers with a background in electrochemistry or chemists with a background in physical electrochemistry.
Flexible sensor systems
I am fascinated by new forms of electronics: almost imperceptible but wearable electronics, fully recycable electronics, or low-cost printed systems. Organic semiconductors are in the focus of my research, in particular their almost limitless ways to be tailored to their particular use in organic sensors, LEDs, or solar cells.
In The Martian Mindset
I want to develop printed sensor systems that can be processed and tailored to their specific use on Mars.
I am looking for students with an engineering or physics background interested in establishing a low-energy, scarcitc driven production paradigm for sensors.
Particle process engineering
As a chemical and process engineer I research novel functional materials at various levels with gas phase processes being my main focus. I’m a specialist in reactive spray synthesis of nanoparticles and their interactions with various media and interfaces.
In The Martian Mindset
With my research in handling, formulating, and the mechanical and chemical manipulation of particles, I will substantially contribute to regolith valorization within the Cluster.
I am looking for highly motivated individuals with a background in engineering (process engineering, chemistry, mechanical engineering, and/or aerospace), physics, and/or applied mathematics to contribute to the development of fundamental models and methods in multiphase flow, with a focus on simulating fluid-bubble interacting systems.
Machine learning models
My research is dedicated to developing and applying quantum-mechanical simulations and machine learning models to understand, predict, and design materials properties. Core interests are electronic-structure theory, electronic and thermal transport, materials discovery, first-principles electrochemistry, applications dedicated to materials for energy, functional materials, quantum materials, 2D-1D materials, devices for information and communications technologies.
In The Martian Mindset
We want to make materials on Mars - so we need to know how to produce metals without oxygen or fuel, as in traditional smelting, but with electricity from solar and electrolytic smelting - thus also exploring sustainability on our own planet.
I'm looking for bright and very motivated young scientists, that are keen to be at the forefront of theoretical physics and chemistry, with a very forward-looking dedication to the core theme of sustainability.
Optimization under uncertainty
My expertise lies in mathematical optimization and the theory of computation, with a focus on designing efficient algorithms for scheduling and resource allocation. I am particularly interested in optimization under uncertainty, developing algorithmic methods that handle incomplete, imperfect, or unreliable information.
In The Martian Mindset
My research on efficiently allocating scarce resources and providing quantitative support for decision-making under uncertainty aligns seamlessly with the central challenges of the Martian Mindset Cluster.
I am looking for students with a strong mathematical background who are excited about designing efficient algorithms for scheduling and resource allocation problems, and analyzing their performance under input uncertainty.
Manufacturing technology
As a biologist who made the leap to production engineering, I combine my technical expertise with an enthusiasm for interdisciplinary work. My main research interest is the interaction of manufacturing processes and materials under consideration of operating fluids, such as coolant lubricants.
In The Martian Mindset
My expertise in efficiently allocating scarce resources and providing quantitative support for decision-making under uncertainty aligns seamlessly with the central challenges of the Martian Mindset Cluster.
I’m looking for inspired engineers who are eager to understand how processes and materials interact. Our team members are motivated by their curiosity to rethink and develop manufacturing processes for cutting-edge science.
Physical metallurgy
An international team of curiosity-driven researchers, my group is passionate about developing advanced functional and structural materials contributing to our sustainable development both on Earth and beyond. Special emphasis is placed on synthesizing materials under Mars-like conditions using in-situ resource utilization principles, a uniquely challenging and motivating endeavor.
In The Martian Mindset
Recently, we explored the influence of unavoidable contamination of pure metals by Martian regolith and are confident that enough-to-use materials can be manufactured under harsh Martian conditions.
I am looking for curious students ready to design materials for repairing a Martian rover wheel using an in-situ resource utilization approach.
Ceramics and composites engineering
As a materials scientist and engineer the understanding and design of advanced ceramics at the interface of biological entities fascinates me since it is pivotal for applications in the fields of biotechnology, biomedicine, environmental engineering and energy harvesting.
In The Martian Mindset
Recently, we explored the influence of unavoidable contamination of pure metals by Martian regolith and are confident that enough-to-use materials can be manufactured under harsh Martian conditions.
I am looking for talented students with backgrounds in either materials science, chemistry or chemical engineering.
Heat treatment
As a materials engineer specialized in the heat treatment of metals I'm driven by the joy of developing a deep understanding of the tailoring of microstructures to specific loading situations through thermo-chemical heat treatment methods.
In The Martian Mindset
The method of analyzing specific facilities used for material transformation into specific states will be of high interest for the Martian Mindset, where scarce resources will be a major challenge for materializing parts.
We're looking for engineers and material scientists with a strong interest in heat treatment and a drive to advance process chain evaluation in energy use and material science.
Chemical process engineering
As a chemical and environmental process engineer with a passion for electrochemical processes my expertise lies in the fields of green chemistry and mass and heat transport.
In The Martian Mindset
I will research how sustainable metal production through electrolysis can be made possible under scarcity and even under conditions as challenging as those on Mars.
I am looking for students who are enthusiastic about developing sustainable solutions and are looking forward to experimenting with electrochemical processes.
Laser processing
My research covers topics from fundamentals to application and transfer levels, in projects where I use my expertise to develop future materials engineering technologies, especially in the areas of additive manufacturing, heat treatment, alloy development and material characterization of metals.
In The Martian Mindset
My experience in in-situ processes during laser powder bed fusion will be highly useful for the Cluster, as it builds on the advantages of additive manufacturing such as near-net-shape production, while also enabling laser-based surface structuring and integrated heat treatment through the use of process heat.
I am looking for students interested in developing laser-based additive manufacturing technologies under the challenging conditions on Mars.
Production engineering
In my research I am working on pushing the frontiers of engineering in the fields of assembly, production design and logistics. Combining methods of different disciplines from mathematics and informatics to economics and psychology with fundamentals of engineering opens a fascinating space for novel solutions.
In The Martian Mindset
Facing extreme scarcity in materials, energy, human workforce and information, the Martian Mindset sets boundaries for a groundbreaking approach of restarting the invention of assembly, production systems and production logistics.
I am looking for people with an open mind for research on the interfaces of disciplines. Your background is ideally from informatics or mechanical / systems / industrial engineering.
Brain-machine interaction
Design and optimization of robotic platform with a focus on behavioural robotics and brain-machine interaction. Configuration of large-scale machines integrating continuous and pulsed laser-based techs.
In The Martian Mindset
Development of behavioural robotic platform able to establish awareness about people cognitive and physical status while cooperating in harsh environment.
Enthusiastic students with a Master degree in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, robotics, control and similar who are willing to start a challenging research program into the conception of deliberative robotic systems, brain-robot interaction and cognition.
Biotechnology
I am convinced that exploring and understanding our universe—in a way that benefits humanity as a whole—is the most meaningful endeavor I could contribute to. After studies in biotechnologies and bio-engineering, I focused on astrobiology and have since become a multidisciplinary researcher applying biology to space exploration.
In The Martian Mindset
The Cluster provides an exciting opportunity to combine my expertise in space biology with that of colleagues in other fields, a synergy that could greatly benefit Mars exploration and open new avenues for sustainability on Earth.
We are looking for biologists who are deeply inspired by space exploration, and who can contribute to both fundamental geomicrobiology and the design of innovative bioreactors.
Space engineering
In-situ resource utilization and space life support systems are my passion, because both are required to sustain human presence in space. I want to research and develop technologies that carry mankind further out into the solar system in a sustainable way.
In The Martian Mindset
My research group focuses on regolith beneficiation for oxygen and metal extraction, and on water extraction and purification for propellant production—key ISRU priorities that enable easier access to the Moon and Mars by utilizing local resources.
I am looking for an engineer with a passion for space exploration and experimental work to advance regolith beneficiation processes on Mars.