Professor Brad Nelson at the Institue of Robotics and Intelligent Systems operates an Octomag - an instrument whose eight electromagnetic coils permit maneuvering micro-robots through the eye to deliver drugs to the retina.

Nina Buchmann

Nina Buchmann is a Professor in the Department of Environmental System Science

Professor Nina Buchmann's main research topics include plant and ecosystem physiology, biogeochemistry of terrestrial ecosystems, and interactions among biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services, and sustainable resource use. Among classical ecological methods, she uses stable isotopes to investigate terrestrial processes and has contributed to various international projects on carbon and nitrogen fluxes in ecosystems.

Curriculum Vitae

Born

Germany

Professional Background

  • Undergraduate and graduate diploma in geoecology at the University of Bayreuth, Germany 1984-1989
  • PhD in plant ecology at the University of Bayreuth, Germany in 1993
  • Alexander-von-Humboldt fellow using stable isotopes in ecosystem science at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
  • Habilitation in botany at the University of Bayreuth, Germany 1996
  • Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany 1999-2003
  • Full Professor of Grassland Sciences in the Institute of Agricultural Sciences at ETH Zurich, Switzerland 2003-present
Achievements

Major Awards

  • Founding member of the "Junge Akademie" (Young Academy of Sciences in Germany) 2000-2005
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences in Germany, since 2007
  • ETH Zurich award "Das Goldene Dreirad" (The Golden Tricycle) for the most family and staff friendly leader at ETH Zurich

Recent Publications

  • Die Zukunft der Natur. Politische Ökologie 99: 46-48. 2006 Scherber, C. et al. incl. Buchmann, N.
  • Bottom-up effects of plant diversity on biotic interactions in a biodiversity experiment. Nature 468: 553-556, 2010 Eugster, W. et al. incl. Buchmann, N.
  • Management effects on European cropland respiration. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 139: 346–362, 2010 Kayler. K., Gessler, G., Buchmann, N.
  • What is the speed of link between above- and below ground processes? New Phytologist 187: 885–888, 2010

Key Memberships

  • Founding member of the Young Academy of Sciences
  • Handling editor at the international journal Oecologia 2001-present
  • Elected into the National Academy of Sciences in Germany 2007
  • Member of the Agricultural Research Council of Switzerland 2008–present
  • Member of the National Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) 2008–present
  • Member of the Steering Committee for the Minerva Foundation 2009–present
  • Member of the Board of Trustees of the Öko-Institut e.V. 2009–present
  • Member of the Specialised Committee on Individual Support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) 2011-present