• 1979-1985 Medical school at the University of Ulm;
• 1987 Promotion to Dr. medical “Influence of glucose, insulin, and opiates on the neuroendocrine regulation in the stomach”, University of Ulm;
• 1989-1993 Research period at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor;
• 1990-1993 Research Associate at the Department of biological chemistry and internal medicine (Prof. Nabel, Howard Hughes Medical Institute);
• 1990-1998 Research Fellow at the Department of human genetics (Prof. Meisler, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Medical School);
• 1995 Habilitation for internal medicine "Purification, cloning, and characterization of the transcription factor NF-KB" Medical Faculty, University of Ulm
• 1996 Specialist in internal medicine;
• 1998 Research Fellow in the Department of Physiology (Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Medical School);
• 1999 Specialization in gastroenterology ;
• 2002 Specialization in endocrinology ;
• 2005 Executive Master of Business Administration, University of St. Gallen