Christian B. W. Stark studied chemistry at the University of Hannover (Germany). A final year research project was carried out under guidance of Professor S. V. Ley, FRS at the University of Cambridge (Cambridge, U. K.). This project was focused on the synthesis of the C10 – C17 subunit of the immunosuppressant rapamycin. After returning to Hannover he finished his degree and joined the group of Professor H. M. R. Hoffmann. His Ph.D. was focused on the development of asymmetric [4+3] cycloadditions and applications to natural product synthesis. In May 2000 he changed fields and moved to the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge (Cambridge, U. K.). In the group of Professor P. F. Leadlay, FRS and Professor J. Staunton, FRS he carried out research targeted on the biosynthesis of the polyether ionophore monensin. In December 2002 he accepted a position as a Juniorprofessor for Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany). After the successful intermediate evaluation at the end of 2005 he entered the "second phase" of the Juniorprofessorship. Early 2007 he was offered a Professorship (W2) at the Philipps-University Marburg (Germany) and at the University of Leipzig (Germany). From October 2007 to October 2010 he was Professor for Organic Chemistry and Catalysis (W2) at the University of Leipzig. From 2008 to 2010 he was Director of the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Leipzig. In September 2010 he accepted a chair for Organic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry (W3) at the University of Hamburg. Since September 2012 he is Head of the Institute of Organic Chemistry.