His research deals with transatlantic policy issues from a comparative institutionalist perspective with an emphasis on trade and environmental topics. Prior to pursuing his doctorate he was a project manager at the Aspen Institute Berlin where he was in charge of developing and conducting projects which sought to defuse potential transatlantic disagreements before they evolved into open political conflicts. He also held fellowships at SWP (the German Institute for International and Security Affairs) and the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (Johns Hopkins University), and worked at the World Bank Institute.