| 1942-1946 | Elementary School for 2 1/2 years (interrupted due to World War II) , Gelsenkirchen |
| 1946-1950 | Gymnasium (High School), Gelsenkirchen-Buer |
| 1950-1955 | Gymnasium, Vechta |
| 1955-1960 | Medical student at the Universities of Bonn (1955-1957), Hamburg (1957-1958), and Düsseldorf (1958-1960) |
| 1960 | Graduation in Medicine and M.D. University of Düsseldorf |
| 1960-1962 | Internships in Wimbern, Isny, Gelsenkirchen and Düsseldorf |
| 1962 | Approbation |
| 1962-1965 | Research Fellow, Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, University of Düsseldorf (Head : Prof. W. Kikuth) |
| 1966-1969 | Research Fellow, Division of Virology, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Head : Prof. W. Henle) |
| 1968 | Appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia |
| 1969-1972 | Senior Scientist, Institut für Virologie, University of Würzburg, Germany |
| 1969 | Privat-Dozent für Virologie, University of Würzburg |
| 1972-1977 | Chairman and Professor, Institut für Klinische Virologie, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg |
| 1977-1983 | Chairman and Professor, Institut für Virologie, Zentrum für Hygiene, University of Freiburg |
| 1983-2003 | Chairman of the Management Board and Scientific Director of the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (German Cancer Research Center), Heidelberg |
| since 2003 | Professor emeritus |
| 1966-1970 | Read psychology and media studies at the University of Mainz |
| 1970 | Final Diplom examination and graduation in psychology |
| 1970-1972 | Scholarship holder of the Rhineland-Palatinate Foundation for Highly-Gifted Students |
| | Lecturer at the TH Darmstadt and teacher at the grammar school in Jugendheim, Bergstraße |
| 1972 | Gained her doctorate with the degree of Dr. rer. nat. |
| 1972-1977 | Research assistant at the Psychology Institute of the University of Heidelberg |
| 1972 | Research stays at Ann Arbor and Berkeley |
| 1977-1979 | DFG Research Grant |
| 1979-1986 | Lecturer at the Psychology Institute of the University of Heidelberg and project director for the DFG research unit "Speaking and Language Understanding" |
| 1983-1985 | DFG "Habilitation" Scholarship Holder |
| 1986 | "Habilitation" in psychology at the University of Heidelberg |
| 1985-1987 | Member of the study group on "Historical Change in Social Psychology" of the Werner Reimers Foundation |
| 1986-1992 | Senior contract lecturer at the University of Heidelberg |
| | Project director and coordinator in the Heidelberg/Mannheim Collaborative Research Centre SFB 245 "Language and Situation" |
| 1987-1989 | Member of the Senate Committee on Women's Affairs at the University of Heidelberg |
| 1987-1993 | Chairwoman of the Association of Women Academics and Scientists in Baden-Württemberg |
| 1988-1994 | Reviewer for the Baden-Württemberg Länder Government Programme to Support Women |
| 1992 | University Professor (C4) at the University of the Saarland |
| 1994-1997 | Vice-President responsible for Teaching and Studies at the University of the Saarland |
| 1995 | /1996 Member of the Committee of Experts on "Research and Technology" in the Saarland |
| 1994-1998 | Member of the Executive Board of the German Psychology Society |
| 1996-1998 | Member of the Higher Education Structure Committee of Baden-Württemberg |
| 1999-2000 | Member of the Evaluation Committee on Psychology at the Northern Network Universities (Bremen, Greifswald, Hamburg, Kiel, Oldenburg) |
| since 1996 | Liaison lecturer and since 1997 member of the Selection Committee for the German National Study Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes) |
| 1999-2000 | Ombudswoman at the University of the Saarland |
| | Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Social and Applied Human Sciences |
| | Member of the Advisory Board on Women's Affairs |
| | Member of the Senate of the University of the Saarland |
| 2000-2006 | President of the University of the Saarland |
| 2001-2006 | HRK Vice-President for Research and Young Scientists |
| since 2002 | Member of the University Council of the University of Konstanz |
| since 2004 | Member of the Austrian Science Board (Österreichischer Wissenschaftsrat) |
| since 2006 | President of the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz |
| since 2007 | Member of the Council of the United Nations University |
| since 2009 | Member of the Board of the European University Association (EUA) |
| since 2012 | President of the German Academic Exchange Service |
