Principal investigators

TU Ilmenau/AnLi Fotografie
Prof. Dr. Martin Löffelholz

Martin Löffelholz

As the project´s spokesperson, Prof. Dr. Martin Löffelholz organizes team meetings and international workshops. He is also the leading investigator in work package 1 (WP1), which analyzes strategies, structures, and outcomes of governmental risk and crisis communication on Covid-19 at the federal and state level. Besides the examination of traditional forms of government communication, the focus lies on the use of social media by governments and health institutions, particularly Twitter and YouTube. Furthermore, Martin Löffelholz participates in WP4, and is therefore working on the aggregation of findings and development of a theoretical model and on the development of policy recommendations.

TU Ilmenau
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Emese Domahidi

Emese Domahidi

As the project’s deputy speaker, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Emese Domahidi coordinates the multidisciplinary exchange in the team. Furthermore, she is one of the leading investigators taking part in the computational data analysis of WP1 and WP3. Emese Domahidi is also working on providing open access to materials and developing a strategy for real-time monitoring of crisis communication in social media for work package 4.

TU Ilmenau
Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Sattler

Kai-Uwe Sattler

Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Sattler is one of the principal investigators in work package 3 (WP3). He works on the analysis of messages and networks on social media that originate from government authorities and health institutions in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. By using innovative approaches in data science, his team will also identify networks of influential opinion leaders communicating about Covid-19 on social media as well as the potential emergence of relevant echo chambers in Europe and the USA. 

TU Ilmenau
Dr. Andreas Schwarz

Andreas Schwarz

Dr. Andreas Schwarz is the leading investigator in work package 2 (WP2) and also contributes to the analysis of risk and crisis communication messages of governments and public health institutions about Covid-19 in WP1. In WP2, his team is analyzing legacy media frames about both the Covid-19 pandemic and instructional government messages in Europe and the USA. Dr. Schwarz is also participating in the aggregation of findings and the development of a theoretical model in WP4. Together with the project’s spokespersons (Löffelholz, Domahidi), he also coordinates the project communication (website, media relations, etc.). 

TU Ilmenau
Dr. Nadine Steinmetz

Nadine Steinmetz

Dr. Nadine Steinmetz is contributing to WP1 by analyzing messages and networks on social media where governments and health institutions are involved in responding to Covid-19 in Europe and the USA. Furthermore, Steinmetz is one of the leading investigators in WP3, which comprises the computational analysis of networks of opinion leaders communicating about Covid-19 on social media, as well as the dissemination of information and disinformation on Covid-19 and the emergence of echo chambers in Europe and the USA. Steinmetz is also working on providing open access to materials and development of a strategy for real-time monitoring of crisis communication in social media for WP4.

Robin Jaznik

Dr Robin Jaznik is a principal investigator in WP3.​  This part of the project focusses on the analysis of citizens' perceptions and responses to the pandemic and the information on Covid-19 provided by their respective governments and health institutions. Severine Koch is also involved in the aggregation of findings, the development of a theoretical model as well as the development of policy recommendations inWP4.

Research associates

TU Ilmenau
Yi Xu, M.A.

Yi Xu, M.A.

Yi Xu is a research associate primarily participating in WP1 and the analysis of government authorities (PI: Martin Löffelholz).

 
TU Ilmenau
Pauline Gidget Estella, M.A.

Pauline Gidget Estella, M.A.

Pauline Gidget Estella is a research associate primarily participating in WP1 and the analysis of government authorities (PI: Martin Löffelholz).

TU Ilmenau
Francis Alpers

Francis Alpers, M.A.

Francis Alpers is a research associate primarily participating in WP2 and focusses on the quantitative content analysis of legacy media frames related to the Covid-19 pandemic (PI: Andreas Schwarz).

TU Ilmenau
Khaoula Benmaarouf

Khaoula Benmaarouf, M.Sc.

Khaoula Benmaarouf is a research associate primarily participating in WP3 (PI: Kai-Uwe Sattler).

TU Ilmenau
Dr. Jingyuan Yu

Dr. Jingyuan Yu

Dr. Jingyuan Yuis a research associate primarily participating in WP3 and mainly focuses on the computational analysis of social media data, which includes the official messages of different governments and health institutions, the online behavior of key opinion leaders, and the dissemination of Covid-19-related disinformation (PI: Emese Domahidi).

Johanna Geppert

Johanna Geppert

Johanna Geppert is among the leading investigators of WP3 where She is exploring citizens’ concerns, values, and beliefs relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. She is also interested in understanding their informational needs and expectations regarding governmental crisis and risk communication in the context of public health crises.