I’m looking for a postdoc in soil ecology, plant-soil feedbacks, or microbial biogeochemistry. I’d love to find a lab where I can integrate my technical and science communication skills, as well as my broader perspectives.
I’m moving into soil biogeochemistry because it sits at the nexus of everything I care about: rigorous research, urgent questions with societal relevance, and complex living systems. Right now, I’m working on projects related to forest carbon cycling, bacterial community dynamics (16S), and mycorrhizal networks.
I completed my PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart in Peer Fischer’s Micro Nano and Molecular Systems lab (now based in Heidelberg). While there, I consolidated my skills in microscopy (SEM, confocal, etc.), spectroscopy, surface chemistry, synthesizing and characterizing biomedically relevant particles across different scales, as well as data analysis and science communication.
Since graduating in late 2021, I dedicated my time to understanding how my research can connect beyond the lab bench. I worked at the interface of science and society through a Mercator Fellowship (learning about international science policy and Indigenous knowledge systems), science communication projects, and built skills in systems modeling and programming.
What I bring: training as an experimental nanochemist with developing computational skills, systems thinking, international experience, and a genuine investment in tackling the challenges of our time holistically.
Publications
GitHub Soil Science Portfolio
If you think I might fit your project and you need a data analyst and/or chemist on the team, you can contact me here.
Currently, I am based in Berlin.
2011 – 2021
My early academic path was shaped first and foremost by the pursuit of a secure trajectory — chemistry, my long-time favorite school subject, seemed like the safest bet at the time…
Very quickly, I started focusing my interest on biomedical nanotechnology and started to investigate topics I had previously only dreamed of as a child and teenager.
It certainly was a fun ride.
2018 – 2021
Over time, the urgency to address structural inequities and global crises pushed me toward more and more political engagement and science communication.
Through initiatives like Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD), a Democracy Fellowship with Humanity in Action, and co-founding the podcast Two Blacks and a Jew, I learned about political organization and advocacy.
2021 – 2022
Next, I wanted to combine my political consciousness and passion with my scientific background.
As a Mercator Fellow for International Affairs, I explored how colonial legacies continue shaping the natural sciences.In work placements in Germany, Ghana, and Cuba, I explored what decolonizing science can look like in different contexts. One highlight was that I got to work on a virtual exhibition on the literary life of Kwame Nkrumah with the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora (LOATAD) while in Accra, Ghana.
Another highlight followed shortly after in September 2022, when I co-organized and hosted a session at the Science Summit at the UN General Assembly entitled Towards Decolonized Science: Global Policy Dialogue. Together with 7 colleagues from around the world – Samia Chasi, Chuckie Calsado, Jorge Moreno Soto, James Poskett, Aline Marcele Ghilardi, Ocean Mercier, and Caleb Mandikonza – we discussed what decolonizing science means and how to move towards that goal.
2023
Theory and labwork are fine, but what is a researcher who never gets their hands dirty?
In 2023, I dedicated several months to learning about permaculture and improving my Spanish skills while working on two farms – Finca Sin Fronteras (No Borders Farm) in Colombia, and Igloo Kokolo in Mexico.
2023 – 2025
After coming back to Germany for personal reasons, I continued my involvement around the topic of decolonizing science by participating in conferences, giving workshops, and launching the website https://decolonizescience.org/ as a repository for information around the topic.
Professionally, my focus moved more towards science education and communication.
Most recently, I was the project lead for TüftelLab’s Quantum Career project. My job was co-developing the project strategy and content. We developed playful and interactive educational content on everything quantum – from workshops and games on quantum phenomena, technology, to teacher trainings. Together with Goethe Institutes in five European cities, we also curated programs like the Karriere Quantum Camps. A mobile exhibition – Quantenzirkus – started touring in March 2025.
Late 2025 onwards
I’m just as passionate about using science as a tool for social transformation — and doing my part in changing how we teach, do, and think about research.
My current focus is transitioning into soil biogeochemistry as a postdoctoral researcher, as I believe that is where I can best combine my skills and make a difference in the long run.
I’m building a portfolio at the intersection of environmental research, microbial ecology, and plant-soil interactions — combining my analytical chemistry background with computational tools to tackle questions such as forest carbon cycling.
While I freelance in science communication on the side, my main energy right now is going toward starting my postdoctoral research in 2026. Check out my portfolio to see what I’m working on at the moment.
In case you are interested in a more complete Curriculum Vitae:
vin ilegueuno kadiri 