Jan-Justus holds a BA in European Studies from Maastricht University, and an MA in International Peace and Security from King's College London. During his studies, he gained work experience with the International Coordination Department of the German Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Criminal Police Office), the Economy and Labour Section of the Mission of Lower Saxony to the EU, and supported the NGO Transparencia in their political work to strengthen democracy in Peru.

In his role as the latest KAS-Fellow at the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security at King’s College London, Jan-Justus primarily works on a study on the geopolitical and economic implications of the US drive for energy independence. The study looks at the recent developments in unconventional resource recovery in the US, both in gas and oil, and their economic consequences for the US itself and other regions in the world, such as the EU, China, Russia, the Middle East, and Western Africa. Interlinked with the economic analysis, the study also looks at the apparent and potential geopolitical impacts for the US and the mentioned regions with both a contemporary analysis as well as a future outlook.

In addition to his research capacity, Jan-Justus also supports the organisation and conduct of the KAS-EUCERS Energy Talk Series starting this March, of which he is also the rapporteur. His contributions will be consolidated in a final report by the end of the Series. Jan-Justus has also taken over the editorial of the EUCERS monthly Newsletter, in which the institute informs its followers about recent and upcoming activities, and provides a platform to publish on energy and resource relevant topics.