People

Julia Serong is the research director at the Munich Science Communication Lab. Since December 2017, she has been a research associate at the Department of Media and Communication. Until 2021, she was the ad hoc working group “Facticity of the World” coordinator at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. From 2013 to 2020, she was a research associate (project management) at the Institute of Journalism at TU Dortmund University. From 2009 to 2014, she was a research assistant at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies at the FU Berlin. There she received her Ph.D. (Dr. phil.) on “Media Quality and Audience” in 2014. Julia Serong studied communication science, economic policy, and English Studies at the WWU Münster.

Why is this project important to you?
Over the last few years, I have been doing a lot of work on science communication, and the exchange with practitioners has always been important to me. I have learned so much about the basic questions, problems, and challenges of science communication. And I have also noticed how great the need for research on science communication is.

With the MSCL, a dream becomes a reality: We can research science communication and help shape it. The MSCL gives us the unique opportunity to expand and deepen our fundamental knowledge of science communication and to accompany and improve the development of new formats. With the topic of Planetary Health, we are also taking on a challenge for communication science: to think public communication about the environment and health together, at the intersection of science, politics, and economics. This interdisciplinarity and diversity of perspectives that we live at MSCL mean a lot to me.

E-mail: julia(dot)serong(at)ifkw(dot)lmu(dot)de

Bernhard Goodwin is Managing Director of the Institute for Communication Science and Media Research at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He studied communication science, psychology, computer science and law, and earned his doctorate on the transfer of knowledge to society using the example of forestry science.

Why is this project important to you?
This project is important to me firstly because it is a very pressing issue with high relevance. Secondly, it is an issue that involves complicated problems for which there are no simple solutions. We call this “wicked problems” and that’s why science communication is a bit more difficult than with other topics. Thirdly, science communication is actually part of the phenomenon itself. Because when you’re talking about how the health and the environment of our planet are interrelated; how people think about it and get into the conversation plays an important role.

E-mail: goodwin(at)lmu(dot)de

Sarah Stiller completed a bachelor’s degree in media and communication science at Uni Augsburg in 2011 and a master’s degree in Communication Science at LMU Munich in 2013. She has worked in online communication in the field of culture and film and as a freelance writer with a focus on sustainability topics. She joined the MSCL team in October 2022 as Science Communication Coordinator at the intersection with the Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research.

Why is this project important to you?
Planetary health is a highly relevant topic. With our everyday behavior, humans endanger the future of our planet’s and our own health. I am interested in science communication as a tool to make scientific knowledge more accessible and understandable to a broader public and empower different groups to make changes. It is a great opportunity to be able to be part of this movement – not only on a private level, but on a professional, too.

E-mail: sarah(dot)stiller(at)ibe(dot)med(dot)uni-muenchen(dot)de

Sebastian Brumann studied Geography and German studies at the University of Augsburg and graduated in 2016 with the Erstes Staatsexamen. Between 2016 and 2023, he was a research associate at the Chair of Geography Education at the University of Augsburg. During this time, he worked in the interdisciplinary research project BAYSICS, dealing with citizen science on regional implications of climate change in Bavaria. In his PhD thesis, Sebastian Brumann developed and evaluated a climate change education concept for upper secondary schools based on the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach.

Why is this project important to you?
Planetary Health is a rather new concept to describe a timeless fact: We as humans are inseparably connected with the world we live in and, beyond that, our health and wellbeing are directly dependent on the health of the planetary systems. Often, these complex interlinkages are not visible or tangible in our everyday lives. All the more important is a way of science communication that enables people to experience and become aware of this interconnectedness. With my work, I want to contribute to creating such experiences, bringing planet and people a bit closer to each other.

E-mail: s(dot)brumann(at)deutsches-museum(dot)de

Tobias Kiss is a Board-certified Pediatrician. After studying medicine at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, he carried out most of his specialty training at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In addition to Pediatrics, he is passionate about planetary health and medical education. By participating in the Planetary Health Academy lecture series of the German Alliance for Climate Change and Health (KLUG e.V.) in 2021, he acquired fundamentals in the field, which he subsequently deepened alongside his work as a Pediatrician. Most recently, he held a teaching position at HMU Health and Medical University Potsdam, where he developed and taught various courses for medical students.

Why is this project important to you?
The concept of planetary health highlights the profound dependence of human health and well-being on the stability of Earth’s natural systems. With seven of nine planetary boundaries already exceeded, the consequences for health, especially of children and adolescents, are becoming more and more evident. As a Pediatrician, I see a responsibility to address these connections as well as to advocate for prevention that protects both human and planetary health. By making scientific knowledge accessible and relatable, I aim to support a transformation based on care, justice, and responsibility for the interrelated health of people and the planet.

E-mail: t(dot)kiss(at)deutsches-museum(dot)de

Monica Déchène completed her Bachelor’s degree in 2020 and Master’s degree in 2023 in Health and Nursing Sciences, with a minor in Political Science and Sociology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). During her studies, she worked in the field of public relations at TUM and was a student assistant for the PISA study. Since 2023, she has been engaged in educational research at the Center for International Student Assessment, focusing on science communication with teachers. In addition to working as an evaluation coordinator at the MSCL, she is also doing her doctorate at TUM in the field of learning in museums.

Why is this project important to you?
In the world of research, it’s not just about exploring new ideas; it’s also about effectively communicating those ideas and findings to the right audiences. When it comes to pivotal subjects like Planetary Health, the ability to reach every individual and achieve a lasting impact is of great importance. In my own research on evaluating science communication about Planetary Health, I aim to derive impactful outcomes for both research and practice, offering special value to teachers and students.

E-mail: monica(dot)dechene(at)ifkw(dot)lmu(dot)de

Until December 2022, Jana Laura Egelhofer was a postdoc and scientific program coordinator at the Department of Communication at University of Vienna. She received her Ph.D. in 2021 from the University of Vienna. In her doctoral thesis, she investigated the content and consequences of the discourse around “fake news.” In 2019, she was a visiting scholar at the University of Amsterdam. Jana Laura Egelhofer studied Communication at the University of Vienna.

Why is this project important to you?
In my research, it has always been a priority for me to work on issues that I consider socially relevant. Planetary health, which subsumes many of the most crucial challenges for humanity, is therefore of great importance to me. I am especially interested in how complex and uncertain scientific issues can be communicated in ways that benefit society, and how perceptions of scientific actors and outputs are shaped by public discourses.

E-mail: Jana(dot)Egelhofer(at)ifkw(dot)lmu(dot)de

Anna Gaul completed her bachelor’s and master’s degree in communication studies at LMU Munich. During her master’s studies, she worked as a student research assistant in the junior research group “Digital Democratic Mobilization in Hybrid Media Systems (DigiDeMo)” at LMU.

Why is this project important to you?
Numerous environmental changes, such as the climate crisis or the pollution of land, water, and air, threaten the health of the planet and society. Planetary Health is therefore a topic of high urgency and relevance that concerns us all. However, communicating about it is challenging because it involves ‘wicked problems’ characterized by interdependencies, uncertainty, and conflicting stakeholder interests. This makes research on science communication all the more important, both on the side of the communicators and on the side of the recipients. Furthermore, the MSCL enables an exchange with different disciplines and fields of application, which I see as a great opportunity.

E-mail: Anna(dot)Gaul(at)ifkw(dot)lmu(dot)de

Lijuan Klassen studied Political Science and Philosophy at University College Maastricht in the Netherlands and completed her Research Master in Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam. In her MA thesis, she explored ‘cultures of camouflage’ as a technique inspired by nature that was further developed for artistic and military purposes, thereby grounding her research interests in the histories of biology, culture and the arts. Before starting her PhD, she worked as a project assistant at de Appel in Amsterdam and at Gropius Bau in Berlin. She is currently a PhD candidate at the Rachel Carson Center (RCC) and the Munich Science Communication Lab (MSCL). Her dissertation analyses the current and historical discourse on planetary health from an environmental humanities perspective. It explores how current and historical representations, narratives, and metaphors have shaped public and scientific understanding of the relationship between human and planetary health. 

Why is this project important to you?
We are living in an age of information and visual media overload. This can easily produce a sense of disorientation and make it difficult to identify reliable sources. Against this backdrop, it is crucial to analyse and understand how complex and often abstract relationships between health and environmental change can be made comprehensible and meaningful to audiences in order to sustain public debate on climate and health politics. Planetary health is not merely a field of scientific inquiry; it also raises fundamental normative questions about the kind of world we want to inhabit. Health has never been a matter of individual bodies alone. With the emergence of the nation-state, for example, medicine became deeply intertwined with social organisation and political governance, transforming it into a socio-political issue. My research emphasises the importance of reconsidering the relationship between human health and planetary well-being in the Anthropocene era, while also keeping critical questions in mind, such as: What assumptions about ‘health’ and ‘nature’ underlie dominant representations of planetary health? In what ways might these representations open up new perspectives on well-being at a planetary scale? And to what extent do they risk obscuring the complex socio-economic struggles and power relations that shape planetary health?

E-mail: lu(dot)klassen(at)rcc(dot)lmu(dot)de

Claudia Seelmann studied art history at the LMU Munich and completed her master’s degree in 1994. Afterwards she worked for various cultural institutions, e.g., at Munich Re, with the Siemens Cultural Program, and Sammlung Goetz. Since 2024 she has been project coordinator in the MSCL administration office at the LMU Department of Media and Communication.

Why is this project important to you?
Our health is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. The concept of Planetary Health recognises these connections and is committed to sustainable solutions that benefit both people and the environment. There is therefore a great need for research in the field of science communication on the subject of Planetary Health, also in order to find out and understand people’s opinions.

E-mail: claudia(dot)seelmann(at)lmu(dot)de

Lara Osin studies communication science at LMU and writes articles on topics such as art, culture and politics for the student newspaper “Philtrat”.

Why is this project important to you?
Science communication is important because it strengthens democracy by empowering the public to make informed decisions, promotes trust in science, and enhances education. Good scientific communication is essential, especially because society has to face big issues such as climate change, pandemics and globalization.

E-mail: lara(dot)osin(at)campus(dot)lmu(dot)de

Johanna Scabell is currently studying Public Health at LMU Munich, where she previously completed her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Communication Science.

Why is this project important to you?
I think science communication plays an essential role in making research accessible and relevant beyond academic circles. This is particularly important for complex and urgent topics like Planetary Health, where health, environmental, and social issues are closely linked. Clear, accessible, and engaging communication helps people understand these interconnections—and act accordingly. With my background in both social sciences and communication, I see it as essential to not only generate knowledge but also to make it meaningful and useful for the broader public.

E-mail: johanna(dot)scabell(at)campus(dot)lmu(dot)de

Hans-Bernd Brosius studied psychology and medicine at the Westfälische-Wilhelms University in Münster. He received his doctoral degree there in 1983. From 1983 to 1995 he was a postdoctoral fellow and – later on – assistant professor for communication studies at the University of Mainz. He received his secondary doctoral degree (Habilitation) in 1994. Since 1996, he has been a communication professor at the Department of Media and Communication (IfKW) at LMU Munich. From 1998 till 2002 he was chairman of the German Communication Association. From 2001 to 2021 he was dean of the faculty of social sciences. His research interests include media use, media effects, digitalization of mass media, and methodology.

Why is this project important to you?
Good science communication is crucial for modern societies around the world. We need more research on the antecedents, content, usage and effects of science communication on citizens, politicians, and institutions.

E-mail: brosius(at)ifkw(dot)lmu(dot)de

Christof Mauch started at LMU Munich in 2007 as the Chair in American Cultural History and founded the Rachel Carson Center in 2009. He is an Honorary Professor and Senior Fellow at the Center for Ecological History of Renmin University in China, a past President of the European Society for Environmental History and a former Director of the German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C. (1999-2007).

Why is this project important to you?
I feel strongly that, in order for humanity to survive on planet Earth, we need to understand – and properly communicate – the intrinsic connection between global ecological destruction and the well-being of the human (and more-than-human) species. 

Website: Rachel Carson Center – Christof Mauch
E-mail: mauch(at)lmu(dot)de

Helmuth Trischler is head of research at the Deutsches Museum, Munich and professor of modern history at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich. In 2009, he jointly with Christof Mauch founded the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, one of the internationally leading centers for the growing field of Environmental Humanities. His main research interests are innovation cultures in international comparison; science, technology and European integration; evidence practices in science, technology and society; cooperation and competition in the sciences; and environmental history. He has conceptualized the world’s first major exhibition on the Anthropocene (Welcome to the Anthropocene. The Earth in Our Hands) on display at the Deutsches Museum 2014-2016.

Head of Research of Deutsches Museum; Professor of Modern History and History of Technology at LMU Munich; Co-Director of the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society

Website: Deutsches Museum – Helmuth Trischler
E-mail: h(dot)trischler(at)deutsches-museum(dot)de

Eva Rehfuess holds the Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at the LMU Munich and is spokesperson for the Pettenkofer School of Public Health in Munich, Germany. Nine years of working for the World Health Organization inspired her keen interest in methods for evidence-based public health and her passion for global health with thematic foci on environmental health, public health nutrition, child health and COVID-19. Much of Eva Rehfuess’ research relates to the evaluation of complex interventions in complex systems, in Germany and Europe as well as in low- and middle-income countries.

Why is this project important to you?
Planetary health represents the greatest challenge of our time: the health of current and future generations of human beings relies on a habitable planet. Effective communication is essential for making the connections between human health and the health of the planet apparent – and for achieving an urgently needed societal transformation. This will greatly affect the way we live, work, eat and move: it will mean sacrificing some of the things and habits we love; but it will also mean exploring novel, cool, enjoyable approaches. For me, the MSCL represents a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with highly committed colleagues across a broad range of disciplines and institutions and to engage with the public through innovative, fun and impactful science communication experiments.

Website: LMU IBE – Eva Rehfuess
E-mail: rehfuess(at)ibe(dot)med(dot)uni-muenchen(dot)de

Constanze Rossmann holds a chair of communication at LMU Munich. She used to be professor of communication, vice dean for empirical research and vice director of the Erfurt Laboratory for Empirical Research at University of Erfurt until 2021, where she co-founded the Master Program Health Communication. She is also co-founder and former speaker of the Health Communication Division within the German Communication Association and associate editor of the European Journal of Health Communication. Her research interests include health and crisis communication with a focus on health-related media use and effects, health campaigns, and mobile Health.

Why is this project important to you?
I am specifically interested in the interaction between health and climate (communication), that is, how can health communication profit from emphasizing the positive and negative consequences, (un)healthy behaviors have for climate change and, vice versa, how can climate communication benefit from arguing with the health consequences of environmental friendly behaviors, and, finally, how can the fields of health and environmental communication grow together to integrate their expertise for better scientific answers to demanding social problems.

Website: LMU IfKW – Constanze Rossmann
E-mail: constanze(dot)rossmann(at)ifkw(dot)lmu(dot)de

Lars Guenther earned his Ph.D. in 2015 from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany. He is currently a Professor of Communication Science at LMU Munich’s Department of Media and Communication (IfKW) in Germany. Additionally, he holds the position of Extraordinary Associate Professor at the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science, and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His research interests include public perceptions of (controversial) science, science and health journalism, trust in science, as well as public communication about risks and scientific (un)certainty.

Why is this project important to you?
Over the course of my professional career, science communication has gained importance. I am pleased that we are leveraging this momentum and, through the MSCL, bringing together researchers and practitioners from various fields to collaborate on something as crucial as planetary health. I feel honoured to be able to contribute to this.

Website: LMU IfKW – Lars Guenther
E-mail: lars(dot)guenther(at)ifkw(dot)lmu(dot)de

Michael Apel is head of the Museum Mensch und Natur in Munich and followed Michael John Gorman as head of the Naturkundemuseum Bayern within the Bavarian Natural History Collections (SNSB) in 2024. After studying biology in Frankfurt am Main, he was involved as a zoologist and marine biologist in major projects in Saudi Arabia and Yemen for the Senckenberg Research Institute and Nature Museum. As soon as during his studies, he discovered his interest and passion for science education and communication in museums. In 2003, he became Head of the Natural Science Collection at the Museum Wiesbaden before moving to Munich in 2006.

Why is this project important to you?
As a museum person, the most important questions you ask yourself are: How do we reach our audience, what impact do we have with our exhibitions and other activities, and how relevant is what we do for our visitors and the society? A better understanding of science communication processes and new, innovative, and empirically grounded approaches are therefore crucial to tackle today’s huge challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecological collapse in times of growing science scepticism and even denial.

Website: Museum Mensch und Natur – Michael Apel
E-mail: apel(at)musmn(dot)de