Kerstin Hockmann

Since August 2024 at the Department of Applied Geochemistry at the University of Freiburg

INTERESTS

My research interests are centered around the intersection of soil mineralogy and environmental geochemistry. As a geoecologist by training, I take an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the how, why, what and how fast questions of biogeochemical element cycling in soils, sediments, and surface waters. Specifically, I strive to explore the interconnected (bio)geochemical reactions of iron, carbon and sulfur in systems impacted by hydrological disturbances resulting from either climate change or human activity. Another aspect of my research involves investigating the effects of these disturbances on the environmental behavior of nutrients and contaminants. I also want to offer innovative answers to these problems by investigating novel sorbent materials or engineered solutions as remediation measures.

In terms of methods, I use in-situ field and model laboratory experiments in tandem with state-of-the-art spectroscopic (XAS, Mössbauer spectroscopy), microscopic (TEM, STXM), and wet chemical (HPLC-ICP-MS, LC-Q-TOF MS, HG-OES) techniques. This approach allows me to obtain a mechanistic geochemical understanding of environmental processes, which ultimately helps to derive effective strategies to maintain healthy soils and clean water as keystones for future food security, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

 For a complete CV and publication list visit my personal homepage.

GETTING INVOLVED

Are you interested in my research or do you want to write your MSc or BSc project as part of one of my research projects? I'd love to hear from you and I'll always be happy to help.

BRIEF CV

Since 11/2022: Junior Research Group Leader
Bayreuth Centre of Ecology and Environmental Research (mentors: S. Peiffer, M. Obst), University of Bayreuth, Germany.

2018 – 2022: Postdoctoral Fellow (including maternity leave)
"Outstanding Female Scholars for the University of Bayreuth" - grant program by the Female Professor Programme of Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Bayreuth Centre of Ecology and Environmental Research (B. Planer-Friedrich and S. Peiffer), University of Bayreuth, Germany.

2015 – 2017: Postdoctoral Fellow
SNSF Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship, Southern Cross GeoScience (E.D. Burton), Southern Cross University, Australia.

2014 – 2015: Research Associate (including maternity leave)
Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems (Rainer Schulin), ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

2014:  PhD  - Dr. sc. ETH Zurich (awarded with the ETH medal)
Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems (Rainer Schulin), ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

2008: MSc (Diplom) of Geoecology (passed with distinction)
Technische Universität Braunschweig Germany.

What else I love to do.... 

Effective communication of science is vital to developing enthusiasm for STEM and helps to engage the audience in your presentation. I therefore relish the opportunity to share my concepts of powerful science communication in the community. Approach me if you want to arrange a training with me!

Ausgewählte Publikationen

Peer reviewed

2025

Wegner, L., Burton, E., McCammon, C., Scheinost, A., Planer-Friedrich, B., Peiffer, S., Hockmann, K.: Ferrous iron oxidation in the presence of antimonate at neutral pH : Mutual effects on iron mineral products and antimony sequestration. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 488, 137380 (2025).
doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137380

2024

Stimmler, P., Obst, M., Lehmann, J., Stein, M., Hockmann, K., Göckede, M., Schaller, J.: Reduced CO₂ Release from Arctic Soils Due to CO₂ Binding to Calcium Forming Aragonite. Environmental Science & Technology, 58(40), 17695-17702 (2024).
doi:10.1021/acs.est.4c07496

As, K., Peiffer, S., Uhuegbue, P., Joshi, P., Kappler, A., Marouane, B., Hockmann, K.: Sulfate affinity controls phosphate sorption and the proto-transformation of schwertmannite. Chemical Geology, 653, 122043 (2024).
doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.122043

2023

Stimmler, P., Obst, M., Stein, M., Göckede, M., Hockmann, K., Schaller, J.: Silicon and calcium controls on iron and aluminum mobility in Arctic soils. Chemosphere, 335, 139087 (2023).
doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139087

2021

Karimian, N., Hockmann, K., Planer-Friedrich, B., Johnston, S., Burton, E.: Antimonate Controls Manganese(II)-Induced Transformation of Birnessite at a Circumneutral pH. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(14), 9854-9863 (2021).
doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c00916

Hockmann, K., Karimian, N., Schlagenhauff, S., Planer-Friedrich, B., Burton, E.: Impact of Antimony(V) on Iron(II)-Catalyzed Ferrihydrite Transformation Pathways : A Novel Mineral Switch for Feroxyhyte Formation. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(8), 4954-4963 (2021).
doi:10.1021/acs.est.0c08660

2020

Hockmann, K., Planer-Friedrich, B., Johnston, S., Peiffer, S., Burton, E.: Antimony mobility in sulfidic systems : Coupling with sulfide-induced iron oxide transformations. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 282, 276-296 (2020).
doi:10.1016/j.gca.2020.05.024