She studied in Graz and Oxford, receiving a "Promotion sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae", the Austrian Academy of Sciences' Figdor award, and the science prize of the Austrian ministry. EMZ is an "external expert" to the Hamburg narratology project and member of the "EREA" and the "English Studies - ES" committees. She has published on narratology, cultural memory, postructuralism, genre theory, reader reception theory, the theory and history of poetry and metapoetry, C18 women drama, British postmodern literature and children's literature.