Brandt's main research focus is macrofauna of the deep sea and polar regions. Within this broad research field she studies systematics, biodiversity, biogeography, evolution and ecology of deep-sea Isopoda (
Crustacea,
Malacostraca), with a special focus on Antarctic marine benthic systematics, evolution, biodiversity and biogeography. Following her post-doc at the Institute for Polar Ecology at the
University of Kiel (Germany), Brandt was appointed as professor of special zoology at the University of Hamburg in 1995. She is also professor at the Goethe-University Frankfurt. She has joined numerous expeditions to the polar regions, including being a participant on the maiden voyage of the RV
Sonne in 2014/2015. Her work has led her to participate on over 20 research vessel and three expedition cruises. Brandt's work on the ANtarctic benthic DEEP-sea biodiversity (
ANDEEP) cruises has ranged from the discovery of new life to being featured as a special issue of
Deep Sea Research and reviewed in the journal
Nature. From 2011 to 2015 Brandt served on the scientific steering committee for the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) She served as a supporting session leader for session M-2 (Southern Ocean Life and Ecology) at the
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Horizon Scan retreat, and was a member of the scientific steering committee for the international and collaborative Census for the Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life (CeDAMar) and project leader and ANtarctic benthic DEEP-sea biodiversity: colonization history and recent community patterns (ANDEEP) project. She still serves as a steering committee member of the SCAR Scientific Research Program (SRP) State of the Antarctic Ecosystem AntEco. Brandt is also one of Germany's representatives to the SCAR Scientific Science Group-Life Sciences (SSG-LG). She is currently a member of the Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning project at the EU Network of Excellence, serves as a science advisor to the Atlantic Ocean Observing System (Atlantos) and is the head of Invertebrate II collection at CeNak. Brandt has been a fellow of the
Linnean Society (UK) since 2003, a member of the Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur Mainz (Germany) since 2012, the Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft (DZG), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Polarforschung (DGP), Gesellschaft für biologische Systematik (GfbS), the Society (TCS, USA), the
Systematics Association (UK), the
Biological Society of Washington, and Gesellschaft deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte (GdNÄ). Brandt currently serves on the senate commission on oceanography at the
German Research Foundation (DFG). She also performs advisory roles, including the Annette-Barthelt Foundation, the
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Science Planning & Coordination committee of the
Australian National Antarctic Research (ANARE), and the
Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) (UK). as well as serving on
Polish Polar Research (PPR). ==Awards and honors==