1973 Abitur (high school graduation) at the Christianeum in Hamburg
1974 - 1980 Medical school at the University of Hamburg
1977 - 1980 Studies of computer sciences at the University of Hamburg
1977 - 1981 Dissertation at the Department of Neurophysiology at the University Hospital in Eppendorf
1980 Approbation als Arzt (licence to practice medicine)
1981 Dr. med. degree at the University of Hamburg
1988 Habilitation for "Physiology" at the University of Hamburg
1980-1988 Postdoc and assistent professor (C1) at the Institute of Physiology at the University Hospital in Eppendorf
1988-1990 Visiting Scientist at the Department of Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore
1990-1992 Assistent professor (C1) at the Institute of Physiology at the University Hospital in Eppendorf
1992-2007 C3-Professor for Neurophysiology at the Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz
Since 2008 W3-Professor, Chair of Neurophysiology at the Center for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim of the University of Heidelberg
2008-2010 President of the German Pain Society (DGSS)
2002-2008 Member of the Council of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
2008-2010 Chairman of the IASP Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain (NeuPSIG)
Since 2006 Board member of the German Federation of Academic Medical Societies (AWMF)