Team [HC]²
Many different academics teach and research health communication issues at the Institute for Journalism and Communication Research (IJK). We also supervise student theses (only available in German) in this subject area and thus contribute to the profile and activities of the [HC]². You will find links to the respective contact persons for the various projects under the respective project description. The core team of the [HC]² includes:
Professor Eva Baumann, Ph.D., is head of the the Hanover Center for Health Communication and holds a professorship for communication science at the Institute for Journalism and Communication Research (IJK) at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media (HMTMH) since June 2015. In 2002 she earned her diploma in Media Management and in 2008 her Ph.D. in communication science in Hanover. Before she returned to Hanover in 2015, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Münster University, held interim professorships at the University of Erfurt and the University of Munich and was a member of the Bielefeld School of Public Health at the University of Bielefeld. Her teaching and research focuses on health and risk communication, and she has been contributing to the development and establishment of this field of research in German-speaking countries for many years. In this context, she is involved in numerous inter- and transdisciplinary research collaborations and transfer activities, e.g. as a scientific advisor at the Federal Government's Expert Council on Health and Resilience, to the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) and the Lower Saxony Health Association. She is co-founder of the Health Communication Section of the German Society for Journalism and Communication Studies (DGPuK) and was a member of the DGPuK board for four years. She has been Vice President for Science at HMTMH since 2021. » See also
Anja Dittrich (M.A.) has been working at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Research (IJK) since 2018. She initially trained as a media and information services specialist at the Berlin Central and Regional Library and then completed a bachelor's degree in communication science and sociology at the University of Jena, where she also worked as a student assistant. In 2015, she began her Master's degree in Media Management at the IJK in Hanover and worked as a student assistant at the [HC]² alongside her studies. She has been a research assistant at the IJK since 2018 and is currently working on the project ‘Improving the early detection of tumours of the oral cavity: Formative multi-level evaluation for the concept development of a national awareness campaign’. » See also
Lisa Felgendreff (M.Sc.) has been a research assistant at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Research since July 2023. She initially studied psychology at the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg before completing her master's degree in psychology at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. Between 2017 and 2022, Lisa Felgendreff was a research assistant at the University of Erfurt, where she worked on the ‘COSMO - COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring’ project and began her doctorate in the field of health communication. Prior to this, she worked in market research for five years, gaining insights into the healthcare sector and the health insurance system. Her research interests include risk communication, communicating vaccine side effects and supporting informed vaccination decisions. At the Hanover Centre for Health Communication, Lisa Felgendreff is jointly responsible for the oral cancer prevention project. » See also
Tanja Fisse (M.A.) joint the Institute for Journalism and Communication Research as a research associate in December 2021. At the [HC]² she is jointly responsible for the project ‘Trust and patient-centred communication as factors of implant safety and implantological treatment success’ within the Collaborative Research Centre ‘"Trust and patient-centred communication as determinants of implant acceptance and compliance with advanced implant treatment (SIIRI)’. She also works on the project ‘Agile Bio-inspired Architectures (ABA)’. Her research focuses on the areas of health communication and reception research. She studied Media Management at the IJK for her Bachelor's and Master's programmes. After completing her studies, she worked for three years at the Madsack Media Group in Hanover, where she also worked as a product manager at RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland. » See also
Dr Anna Freytag has been a research assistant at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Research since September 2018. After graduating from high school, she studied both her Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Media Management at the IJK and Communication Studies at the Université Stendhal in Grenoble, France. Following her studies, Anna Freytag first worked as a press officer at the Franco-German broadcaster ARTE in Strasbourg and then spent two years working in the field of big data and media intelligence at a software company in Berlin. In April 2024, Anna Freytag successfully completed her doctorate on the topic of ‘Stigmatising Communication’. Her research focuses on stereotyping and stigmatisation, mindful media use and sustainability communication. At [HC]², she is responsible for the strategic development of the centre and provides support in various third-party funded projects. » See also
Katarina Heitz (M.Sc.) has been a research assistant at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Research since May 2023. She studied Media Management at the IJK for her Bachelor`s degree and completed a Master's degree in Persuasive Communication at the University of Amsterdam. During her studies, she worked as an intern and subsequently as a freelancer at aserto GmbH & Co. KG and supported projects in evidence-based communication consulting. Following her studies, she worked as a project manager at the Branchennetzwerk Gesundheitswirtschaft Hannover e.V.. At [HC]² she works for the BiPsy (Monitor Education and Mental Health) project. » See also
Sara-Marie Junge (MPH) has been part of the Hanover Centre for Health Communication [HC]² team since 2024. She works there on various projects and in public relations.
She initially studied Health Communication at Bielefeld University and then completed her Master's degree in Public Health at the University of Aberdeen in the UK. She then worked as a research assistant at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig in the Department of Epidemiology from 2019. There she worked in the areas of eHealth, citizen science and public relations.
Inga Korte (M. Sc.) has been a research assistant at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Research since 2024. She studied psychology at the FernUniversität in Hagen for both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees and initially worked in various areas of psychological diagnostics after completing her studies. In 2019, she began working part-time on her doctorate in the field of parasocial relationships, which is why her field of interest was enriched by the discipline of communication science. As part of her freelance work, she writes health courses on stress and resource management, which is why the research perspective of health communication and thus in particular the various projects of the [HC]² are of great interest to her. At the [HC]², she is currently mainly active in a supporting role. She is involved in the revision and updating of various publications and supports the conceptualisation of courses. » See also
Paula Memenga (M.A.) has been a research assistant at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Research since July 2021. She studied Communication Science with a minor in German Studies in her Bachelor's degree and Health Communication in her Master's degree at the University of Erfurt. Prior to this, she trained as an audiovisual media clerk in the field of film and television production and worked as a production assistant for image films. At [HC]², she is jointly responsible for the projects ‘Caring for patients during and beyond the corona crisis: The need for digital transformation of health information provision to acutely and chronically ill patients’ (DigiCare) and ‘Cancer prevention in dialogue’ (KID). » See also
Magdalena Rosset, Ph.D., has been on the [HC]² team since 2018. As a research assistant, she is responsible for the projects “Agile Bio-Inspired Architectures (ABA)” and “Hannover Transfer Campus” among other tasks. Her research focuses on health communication and strategic communication. She studied a bachelor's degree in communication science and sociology at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena and then completed a master's degree in media management at the Hanover University of Music, Theater and Media in Hanover. During her studies she worked as a student assistant at [HC]². In 2024, she completed her doctorate on the topic of "The interaction of cognitive frames and message frames in the narrative persuasion process. Theoretical integration and empirical testing". » See also
Charlotte Schrimpff (M.A.) is a research assistant at the Hanover Center for Health Communication [HC]² at Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media since November 2021. She studied musicology with a minor in theatre and communication studies at the University of Leipzig and completed her master's degree in media and music at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media with a survey of the German-language food blogosphere. At [HC]², she is part of the team in the project ‘Trust and patient-centred communication as determinants of implant acceptance and compliance with advanced implant treatment’ within the Collaborative Research Centre ‘Safety-integrated and infection-reactive implants (SIIRI)’. She is also involved in the project ‘Agile Bio-inspired Architectures (ABA)’. » See also
Associated Team Members
Junior Professor Dr Elena Link was a research assistant at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Research in Hanover from 2013 to 2023. She saccomplished her Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Media Management in Hanover and worked as a project assistant and junior project manager at the communications consultancy aserto during her studies. In 2018, she completed her doctorate on the role of trust in the search for health information. One of her research focuses is on the field of health communication. In particular, she is interested in the influencing factors, types and effects of searching for and avoiding health information, the role of trust in doctors, relatives and media sources for patients' information behaviour, defensive reactions to health information and the potential of online communication, e.g. in the form of exchange in online communities. In addition to health communication, social science methods are also a research focus.
Elena Link has been a Junior Professor of Science Communication at the Institute of Journalism at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz since April 2023. She will remain at the Hanover Centre for Health Communication as an associate member of various projects.
You can find more information and current publications by Elena Link on the website of Mainz University.
Last modified: 2025-07-25
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