About
Explore, Learn, Decide Better.
Fascinated by the new, the hidden, the exceptional. Adventurer.
These ideas describe what drives Matthias, both professionally and personally. He enjoys exploring unfamiliar territory, looking beneath the obvious and using what he learns to make more informed decisions.
This curiosity connects his work in biomedical research with his interests in technology, outdoor activities and independent projects.
Turning complexity into better decisions
Matthias approaches complex problems by first trying to understand the question behind them and the decision that may need to be made. He combines biomedical knowledge, statistical reasoning and software development to structure broad questions, explore data and make evidence easier to interpret.
For him, data analysis is not about producing as many findings as possible. It is about separating meaningful signals from noise and assessing which observations may be robust and relevant. This includes questioning assumptions, considering alternative explanations and being open about uncertainty.
He values transparent and reproducible approaches that make it possible to understand how a conclusion was reached. Where appropriate, he translates recurring analytical tasks into reusable workflows, tools or software.
A useful analysis does not need to provide a definitive answer. It should help clarify what the available evidence suggests, where its limits are and which questions may be worth exploring next. This is what Explore, Learn, Decide Better means to him in practice.
Professional journey
Matthias studied bioinformatics and business informatics before completing a PhD in bioinformatics (Dissertation). During his academic career, he worked in biomedical research at the University of Lübeck, Charité Berlin and the Berlin Institute of Health.
His research focused on genetics, genomics and the analysis of biomedical data in the context of common (ZEIT article) and rare diseases. Along the way, he developed scientific software and data integration tools, including Genehopper, Qtlizer [R/Bioconductor]) und MouseFM [R/Bioconductor].
In 2020, Matthias moved from academic research into the healthcare industry. He now works in biomarker research at Roche in Penzberg, where his role brings together biomedical questions, data analysis and software development.
Values
Matthias values curiosity, scientific rigour and intellectual honesty. He believes that a result should not be judged only by how interesting or positive it appears, but also by how well it is supported by the available evidence.
This means taking uncertainty seriously, avoiding unnecessary complexity and remaining willing to revise an interpretation when new information emerges. He prefers transparent reasoning over black boxes and practical solutions over complexity for its own sake.
Collaboration is an important part of this process. Different perspectives can reveal assumptions, improve interpretations and lead to a more complete understanding of a problem.
Projects
Curiosity often develops into small projects and experiments.
One of Matthias’s current projects is MapifyGPX.de, a collection of web tools for working with GPS and GPX data. The project began with a practical navigation problem and gradually grew into a broader set of tools for converting and processing route and location data.
The project reflects an approach he generally enjoys: starting with a real problem, exploring possible solutions and gradually turning an idea into something useful.
This website is another ongoing project. It is a place for himself and others for documenting technical solutions, personal interests, trips and things learned along the way.
Beyond work
Outside work, Matthias enjoys multi-pitch climbing, cycling and travelling with his family in their campervan.
He is drawn to unfamiliar routes, hidden places and details that are easily overlooked. These activities offer a different way to explore, solve problems and learn from new situations.
For him, an adventure does not need to be extreme. It can begin wherever there is something new to discover, something hidden to uncover or something worth understanding.