University of Tübingen and Edinburgh University (Scotland)

• Clinical and scientific career

Medical Clinic, University Hospital Essen

• Assistant doctor, senior consultant

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

• Research Fellow, Group Lead

Israelite Hospital Hamburg

• Medical Director and Chief Physician of the Medical Clinic

• Visa Qualifying Examination (VQE, ECFMG)
• Specialist in internal medicine, North Rhine Medical Association
• Sub-specialty "Gastroenterology", North Rhine Medical Association 1988
• Doctorate University of Essen (summa cum laude)
• Habilitation and Venia Legendi, University of Essen
• Appointment as adjunct professor

• Fellow of the German Research Foundation (DFG) 1982 - 1998
• Ismar Boas Prize (National Doctoral Prize of the DGVS)
• Research Award, North Rhine-Westphalian Society of Gastroenterology
• Several research prizes from the University of Essen
• Scientific Award, European Association for Gastroenterology
• Presidential Award, American Gastroenterological Association
• Several times appointed faculty professor (habilitation) at the universities of Lund, Malmö, Stockholm (Sweden) and Bregen (Norway)
• Founder awards for Indivumed: Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Federal Republic of Germany

• Diseases of the pancreas (pancreatitis, dysfunction)
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (including reflux disease, chronic inflammatory bowel disease)
• Gastrointestinal tumor diseases
• Diseases of gastrointestinal motility (gastroparesis, intestinal pseudo-obstruction)
• Functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia)

• Over 450 original scientific papers, review articles and specialist book contributions
• Over 400 congress papers, abstracts and short communications
• Main author or co-author of several German and international guidelines (including irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, motility disorders, pancreatic diseases)
• Scientific director and main speaker of the annual nationwide gastro update: main topics "Pancreas" and "Motility" (since 1993)
• Keynote speaker at the annual nationwide internist update. Focus topic "Gastroenterology" (since 2005)
• Editor or co-editor of more than 44 specialist books
• Member of the editorial boards of several German and international journals