The Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) has appointed Prof. Dr. Kirstin Vach to the professorship for Explorative Data Analysis in Wood Sciences, effective 1 March 2026. With her appointment, the university gains a proven statistician who will contribute her methodological expertise to teaching and research at the interface of data analysis, materials research and sustainable resource use.

Kirstin Vach studied mathematics with a minor in computer science at the University of Freiburg. She discovered her passion for applied statistics while still a student, writing her thesis at the Institute for Medical Biometry and Informatics at the University of Freiburg. After graduating, she remained there as a research assistant, conducting methodological research, performing statistical analyses of medical studies, and advising researchers.

A career move then took her to Odense (Denmark), where she worked at a research institute for general medicine and further deepened her experience in medical research. After returning to Freiburg, she worked for several years as a statistician at the University of Freiburg's dental clinic, where she eventually earned her doctorate. In recent years, she has also supported the Clinic for Conservative Dentistry at Hannover Medical School in statistical matters and submitted her postdoctoral thesis there.

Prof. Dr. Vach sees her appointment at HNEE as an opportunity to focus more strongly on her own scientific interests while also actively shaping the training of young scientists. "Data analysis is a classic interdisciplinary field. Wherever data is generated, statistics can help to identify patterns and correlations and gain new insights," she says. She sees numerous points of contact within the university – from wood sciences to other interdisciplinary fields of research. 

In the coming semesters, she will initially teach mainly in the wood engineering degree programmes. In the future, she can well imagine incorporating statistical methods more strongly into other areas of study at HNEE.

In her research to date, Vach has spent many years dealing with dental issues. At first glance, this seems far removed from wood sciences. But methodologically, there are surprising parallels: whether teeth or trees, it often involves many similar units whose properties and stresses are examined. There are also overlaps in materials science, for example when it comes to analysing the durability of materials or compounds under various stresses.

"The strength of statistics lies in the fact that its methods can be used in very different disciplines," explains Vach. "It is precisely this interdisciplinary work that makes my research so appealing."

Looking to the future, she sees major changes ahead for her field – not least due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence. New methods could help to link statistical analyses more closely with physical, chemical or biological models in the future. This opens up new possibilities, particularly for research into material properties, processing and the use of sustainable raw materials.

For Professor Vach, one thing is certain: "Wood is the raw material of the future. I look forward to using statistical methods to help us better understand and exploit its potential."