I received my PhD from the University of Düsseldorf in 2001 and lectured in phonetics and phonology at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown from 2001 to 2004, where I also took the Post-Graduate Certificate in University Teaching. In 2004 I took up a position as Associate Professor in English Linguistics at the University of Tromsø (UiT). From 2008 to 2012 I was Associate Professor in General Linguistics at UiT. Since August 2012 I am a Professor of Linguistics at UiT.