His research is in mathematical physics, at the intersection of geometry and astrophysics. In particular, he is interested in general relativity, its modifications and applications, such as mathematical properties of gravitational lensing. His teaching interests at Duke Kunshan are in the applied mathematics major, especially geometrical topics, and in developing interdisciplinary courses.
He has published in leading academic journals and has been a member of the American Mathematical Society, the Royal Astronomical Society (U.K.), and the German Physical Society.
Werner has an M.A., an M.Nat.Sci. and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. Before joining Duke Kunshan, he taught in Duke University's Department of Mathematics before moving to Japan in 2011 to serve first as a researcher at the University of Tokyo's Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe and then as a Hakubi assistant professor at Kyoto University.