GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

Friedhelm von Blanckenburg is Professor of Geochemistry at the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ in Potsdam and the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. He applies isotope geochemical techniques, especially “non-traditional” stable isotopes and cosmogenic nuclides to geochemical cycles at the Earth’s surface. Friedhelm von Blanckenburg has graduated at the Technical University of Berlin and completed his PhD in Isotope Geochemistry at ETH Zürich, Switzerland. He spent seven years as research fellow at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, England, followed by four years as lecturer at the University of Berne, Switzerland, and seven years as Professor of Geochemistry at the University of Hannover, Germany. He is heading the GFZ research group “Earth Surface Geochemistry” composed of 4 advanced researchers/ postdocs and about 6 Ph-D students.

Maja Tesmer is research assistant at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam, Germany. At present, she manages the Marie Curie Initial Training Network „IsoNose”. She graduated and got her PhD at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU), Germany, where she investigated surface-near to deep-reaching hydrogeological flow systems for ten years. In the following, she spent two years as lecturer of Applied Geosciences at the Hanoi University of Sciences, Vietnam. Besides of coordinating research and development projects at FU and GFZ, Maja managed international projects on technical cooperation at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources in Hanover (BGR), Germany.

Rasesh Pokharel is an Early Stage Researcher (ESR) at the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) Potsdam, Germany. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the field of stable isotope Geochemistry. His work focus on using stable isotopes geochemical techniques to understand different bio-geochemical processes that are responsible for fractionation of metal isotopes during their uptake by fungi or higher plants. Rasesh originates from the country Nepal and has travelled around Europe and USA for his academic training. He completed his undergraduate degree in Earth and Space Sciences from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. After that, he pursued his master’s degree in Environmental Systems from the University of California Merced, USA, where he studied dissolution of Bio-U(IV)O2(s) in presence of nitrate and iron under anaerobic conditions using flow-through columns experiment. Rasesh is an aspiring young Ph.D. student who strongly believes in diverse and transdisciplinary approach to learning.

Daniel A. Frick is originally from Liechtenstein, he obtained his MSc in Chemistry from ETH Zürich, Switzerland in 2009. After a three months research internship at the ARC National Key Centre for Geochemical Evolution and Metallogeny of Continents, Macquarie University, Australia under the supervision of Prof. N. Pearson, he started his PhD in the research group of Prof. D. Günther at ETH Zürich. He defended his PhD thesis in 2014 on the topic of fundamental studies to improve quantitative imaging of biomaterials by LA-ICP-MS. From October 2014 till September 2016, Daniel A. Frick was an experienced researcher (PostDoc) at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam, Germany. In the IsoNose project he developed novel analytical routines to extend in situ stable metal isotope analysis by laser ablation inductively coupled multi collector mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MCMS) to simultaneously gain elemental information from secondary mineral precipitates. These routines have been published in Analytica Chimica Acta, (D. A. Frick, J. A. Schuessler and F. von Blanckenburg, Anal. Chim. Acta, 2016, 938, 33–43.). Laser ablation split stream is now routinely applied in the Helmholtz Laboratory for the Geochemistry of the Earth Surface to address questions in secondary silicon mineral precipitation. Since November 2016, an Early Postdoc.Mobility Stipend from the Swiss National Science Foundation allows Daniel A. Frick to advance his research at the GFZ, shifting his priorities from abiotic silicate weathering to biotic silicate weathering.