I received my Masters degree from the University of Copenhagen in 1979 and my PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1983. I was with the European Space Agency(ESA) from 1984 to my retirement from ESA at the end of 2011.

While at ESA I served as the Project Scientist for Europe’s participation in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)until 1995. From 1997 to 2011 I held the same position for Europe’s contributions to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In the latter capacity I oversaw the design and development of the NIRSpec multi-object spectrograph onboard JWST, an instrument that I am still actively involved in.

My scientific interests include astronomical space instrumentation, applied statistics, and the physics of the early universe with emphasis on quasar absorption lines and reionization. I also engage in scientific evangelism, and periodically give public lectures at high schools and other venues across Denmark.