On his return to Germany he set up a medical practice at Augsburg, where his father had been transferred. A few months later he found an opening for an academic position when he was appointed prosector at Erlangen. In 1832 he became full professor of zoology and comparative anatomy there, and held that office until 1840, when he was called to succeed JF Blumenbach at Göttingen. He remained at the Hanoverian university until his death, being much occupied with administrative work as pro-rector for a number of years, and for nearly the whole of his residence troubled by ill health from tuberculosis.