I grew up in southern Germany, moved to Zurich to study chemistry, and stayed for a Ph.D. at ETH. After research stints in Kyoto and Tokyo, I’m now a scientist in pharmaceutical R&D in Basel. Outside the lab I run, climb, travel, and get absorbed by photography and Japanese culture.
Roche pRED preclinical CMC. Reaction development for preclinical drug candidates by high-throughput experimentation, plus coding and data workflows to design, run, and analyse plates at scale.Roche pRED präklinisches CMC. Reaktionsentwicklung für präklinische Wirkstoffkandidaten durch Hochdurchsatzexperimente sowie Programmierung und Daten-Workflows zum Entwerfen, Ausführen und Auswerten von Platten im großen Maßstab.
Jesse Ahlbrecht, Marius D. R. Lutz, Vera Jost, Michael Färber, Stefan Bräse, Georg Wuitschik · ACS Cent. Sci.2026, 12, 222
2023 – 24
Postdoctoral Researcher · University of Tokyo
Nozaki group. Polymers from greener building blocks (CO₂, renewable isoprene) and depolymerising commercial nitrile-based plastics including Lego bricks.Nozaki-Gruppe. Polymere aus grüneren Bausteinen (CO₂, erneuerbares Isopren) und Depolymerisation kommerzieller nitrilhaltiger Kunststoffe — darunter Legosteine.
Morandi group. Rhodium-catalysed C–C bond activation via reversible β-carbon elimination in unstrained alcohols to break and remake similar C–C bonds in the same step; mechanistic studies of this rare reaction class.Morandi-Gruppe. Rhodium-katalysierte C–C-Bindungsaktivierung über reversible β-Kohlenstoff-Eliminierung in ungespannten Alkoholen — gleichzeitiger Bruch und Neuaufbau ähnlicher C–C-Bindungen; mechanistische Untersuchungen dieser seltenen Reaktionsklasse.
TM catalysis
C–C bond activation
Mechanistic studies
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2022
JSPS Visiting researcher · Nakao group, Kyoto University
Six-month exchange on heterobimetallic complexes.Sechsmonatiger Forschungsaufenthalt zu heterobimetallischen Komplexen.
Ori Green*, Patrick Finkelstein*, Miguel A. Rivero-Crespo, Marius D. R. Lutz, Michael K. Bogdos, Michael Burger, Jean-Christophe Leroux, Bill Morandi · J. Am. Chem. Soc.2022, 144, 8717
◆Doctoral Scholarship · Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, 2020
2012 – 17
B.Sc. & M.Sc. in Chemistry · ETH Zürich
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2017 – 18
Industry internships · Actelion / Idorsia & Roche, Basel
Two medicinal chemistry internships in early-stage drug development.Zwei Praktika in der medizinischen Chemie in der frühen Wirkstoffforschung.
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2017
M.Sc. thesis · Stanford University
Trost group. Asymmetric catalysis with zinc complexes.Trost-Gruppe. Asymmetrische Katalyse mit Zinkkomplexen.
2004 – 12
Abitur · Lessing-Gymnasium · Mannheim
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2012
Summer internship · Deutsche Schule Kobe International
Assistant language teacher for German classes.Fremdsprachenassistenz im Deutschunterricht.
◆Dr. Dr. Robert Geursen Prize, 2012
Japan
Japan has been more than a destination for me. Six months as a visiting researcher in Kyoto, a postdoc year in Tokyo. What started as curiosity about the interplay of high-tech and tradition has become a long conversation with Japanese craftsmanship, language and cuisine.
When I travel, I capture the landscapes and moments I encounter with a Nikon DSLR. Each photo tries to carry the atmosphere of the place — so the viewer can imagine being there. All photos on this page were shot and edited by me.
On my personal blog Tabimonogatari I write extensive travel logs while I am on the road, alongside stories about my interests, hobbies, and everyday life.
