From the Technical University of Munich to the Leibniz University Hannover - this is the path ahead for Dr. Melanie Krüger from the Chair of Human Movement Science from April 1, 2020. The scientific assistant will become the new tenure-track professor at the Institute for Sports Science in Lower Saxony.
Krüger studied Sports Science at the University of Leipzig from 2004 to 2009, before completing her Doctorate on “The Motor Control of Gripping Movements” at the “Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience” of the Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich between 2009 and 2013. Subsequently, she joined the Chair of Human Movement Science run by Prof. Dr. Joachim Hermsdörfer at the Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences (SG) as a postdoctoral fellow. From 2015 to 2017, she held a postdoctoral position at “The College of Health and Medicine” at the University of Tasmania in Australia. Since 2017 she has been working as a research assistant with Prof. Hermsdörfer at the Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences.
Her research is focused on the fields of “Motor decision making” and “Joint action”. Both topics are based on the concept of embodiment and focus on how movements are coordinated to reflect the dynamics and uncertainties of the surrounding environment. In this context, Krüger is particularly interested in the influence of age-related changes in cognitive and motor functions on movement coordination.
“Melanie Krüger was a staff member who provided the Chair with tremendous support and was very successful in both her teaching and research,” said Prof. Hermsdörfer. “When you have worked with someone for so long and followed their progress, saying goodbye obviously makes one sad. Of course, on the other hand, I am delighted she has managed to take the next step. And, needless to say, we will continue to push for future collaborations. We are also currently working on a joint research project which is scheduled to continue as planned.”
Krüger is about to begin a five-year tenure-track professorship in Hanover. If the evaluation is positive, she will be appointed to a lifelong professorship. The call for applications was made within the framework of the federal and state programme for the promotion of young scientists. Krüger outperformed four other applicants during the application process.
She has been appointed responsibility for the research area “Embodiment in Sport & Cognitive Fitness” at the Leibniz University Hannover and will cover the corresponding range of courses in all of the institute's Bachelor and Master programmes.
“The position at the University of Hannover is simply a perfect fit for me,” explains Dr. Melanie Krüger. “This is precisely the area of research in which I see myself in future. Therefore, I’m very glad that I have been given this opportunity.” At the same time, however, she leaves TUM feeling somewhat melancholic: “I learned a great deal during my time working for Joachim Hermsdörfer and would have had good prospects here for the years ahead”.
Krüger, still on parental leave following the birth of her third child, is currently preparing for her career change and the move to Hannover. “In the current situation involving the coronavirus, we will also have to hold all seminars online at the University of Hannover, which of course means a certain amount of change and even a challenge. At the same time, the new laboratories will have to be equipped and devices ordered,” said Krüger. “All in all, though, I'm really looking forward to finally getting started.”
To the homepage of the Chair of Human Movement Science
To the homepage of the Institute of Sports Science at the Leibniz University Hannover
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Joachim Hermsdörfer
Chair of Human Movement Science
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24550
e-mail: joachim.hermsdoerfer(at)tum.de
Dr. Melanie Krüger
Chair of Human Movement Science
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24552
e-mail: melanie.krueger(at)tum.de
Text: Romy Schwaiger
Photos: Chair of Human Movement Science