Tobias is as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Materials Engineering at KU Leuven (the University of Leuven in Belgium). He has earned his Master of Science degree in applied mineralogy with focus on cement chemistry from the University of Erlangen in Germany. His doctoral degree, obtained from KU Leuven, concentrated on the transformation of bauxite residue into construction materials through the development of novel processes.
Currently, Tobias is actively providing guidance to multiple Ph.D. candidates and managing projects within the field of bauxite residue research, funded both from industry and European programmes. His specific emphasis lies in the development of cementitious binders and monolithic construction materials derived from residue, encompassing not only laboratory work but also initiatives at pilot scale.
Tobias's general interests revolve around advancing the decarbonisation of the construction industry. This involves various aspects, such as the effective use of waste materials as raw materials to produce novel supplementary cementitious materials and cements, alternative processing technologies, as well as carbonation.