Dr. Alexander Gerst is a European Space Agency astronaut having been selected in 2009 to undergo training. He studied at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, where he received a university degree in geophysics. He also studied earth science at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, where he was awarded a master of science. He has been working as a researcher since 2005 and received his doctorate in natural sciences at the Institute of Geophysics of the University of Hamburg, Germany in 2010, with a dissertation on geophysics and volcanic eruption dynamics. In his spare time, he enjoys mountaineering, diving, climbing and skydiving. He was selected as an astronaut in 2009 by the European Space Agency. He is currently in space as part of the Expedition 40/41 International Space Station crew. 

May 3rd, 1976 in Künzelsau (Age 48)