1975-1981: Medical School, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany 1982-1983: Naval Medical Doctor of the First Mine Sweeper Squadron, Flensburg, Germany 1983-1984:  Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital "Evangelisches Stift",   Koblenz, Germany 1985-1987: Resident, University Eye Hospital Erlangen-Nürnberg 1987: Board Examination 1988-2000: Staff member of the University Eye Hospital Erlangen-Nürnberg 11/1988:Habilitation (Thesis): Biomorphometry of the optic nerve 1990: Election into the "Glaucoma Society of the International Congress of   Ophthalmology" 1990: Glaucoma Award of the German Ophthalmologic Society 1.10.1991:  Associate Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology,University Erlangen-Nürnberg 1997: Junior Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology 4.2000 up to now: Professor of Ophthalmology, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg , Germany 4.2000-10.2012 Director of the University Eye Hospital, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim 2003-2008: Secretary General of the European Association for Vision and Eye Research (EVER) 2004: Honorary President, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology 2005: Senior Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2005: Member Retina Society 2005: Member Macula Society 2007: Member German National Academy of Science Leopoldina   2008: Life-long member of the European Association for Vision and Eye Research EVER 2008: International Gold Awards of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society 2009: Fellow of the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology ARVO (Silver status) 2011: Senior Clinical Scientist Award, Research Recognition Award, World Glaucoma Association 2011: Prof. Robert-Ritch Award, Glaucoma Foundation, New York, USA 2012: Honorary Member of the Asia-Pacific Vitreoretinal Society 2012: Guest Professor, Eye Hospital, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China 2012: Honorary Professor State Key Laboratory in Ophthalmology, Sun-Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, China 2014: Editor-in-chief British Journal of Ophthalmology (together with Profs. Keith Barton and James Chodosh) 2014:  Honorary Member, French Ophthalmological Society (Société Française d´Ophtalmologie) 2013-2015: Chair, Global Members Committee of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology ARVO 2014: Honorary Member, Asia-Pacific Vitreoretinal Society 2015: Fellow of the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology ARVO (Gold status) 2016: Life Achievement Honor Award American Academy of Ophthalmology 2017: Member, Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis