Interview with Martina Bouka, mathematician and doctoral candidate at Charité – Berlin, participant in the YoungNAKO graduate program
From math frustration to enthusiasm for statistics: As a teenager, Martina Bouka could hardly get excited about mathematics. Today, it is precisely this language that she uses every day to identify patterns in large data sets and reveal new correlations that affect health. Her path took her from Ioannina to the USA and then to Berlin—with one goal in mind: to provide answers to complex questions in health research.
From Ioannina to Berlin – a clear path
Martina Bouka
Martina studied mathematics in Greece and completed her master’s degree in the United States, with a minor in epidemiology. There, she worked for the first time with models of infectious diseases and discovered her passion for connecting abstract statistics with real-world health questions.
“For my PhD, I wanted an environment that combines methodological depth with applied research. At Charité and and the Molecular Epidemiology Research Group at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, I found both—the opportunity to work with exciting long-term data such as the NAKO Health Study, and at the same time, to develop methodological approaches further.”
YoungNAKO Graduiertenprogramm: Forschung zum Anfassen
A defining experience for her current participation in the YoungNAKO Graduate Program, which offers early-career researchers hands-on insights into the national cohort study.
“Without YoungNAKO, I wouldn’t have learned many things that have truly stayed with me,” says Martina. All participants of the program not only attend learning sessions but also get the chance to experience the work in study centers firsthand. Martina observed examinations on site, spoke with data managers, followed MRI procedures, and visited the biobank in Berlin.
These experiences helped her understand how raw data are generated—and how even small details can influence later analyses. One example that particularly impressed her: people with large tattoos are excluded from MRI examinations for safety reasons, as some inks contain metallic particles that can heat up during the scan.
Research with NAKO Data
NAKO data are at the core of her research projects. Martina, for instance, investigates whether specific inflammatory markers causally influence survival in colorectal cancer—insights that could become relevant for prevention and therapy in the long term.
Another project explores how strongly methodological decisions can affect outcomes. “Using the example of alcohol consumption and metabolic parameters, we showed that different statistical approaches can lead to very different conclusions,” she explains. “Such work demonstrates how crucial methodology is for producing valid results.”
Currently, she uses continuous glucose monitoring data to explore everyday blood sugar patterns. The goal: to understand how factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), or metabolic profiles relate to these patterns—a step toward individualized, data-driven prevention.
Between Statistics and Reality: Research Requires Patience
For Martina, research is not only analytical but also an exercise in perseverance. “Sometimes I had to redo an entire analysis from scratch—it was frustrating, but part of the learning process.” She also knows organizational hurdles well: “Data access requests can take months. That’s why you should only plan projects that can start with data already available.”
Her advice to applicants in the YoungNAKO context: set realistic timelines, define clear research questions, and know which data are actually accessible. “And: start building networks early—through YoungNAKO, study center teams, or mentors. These connections make a huge difference.”
More Than Data – A Network of Opportunities
For Martina, YoungNAKO is more than just a training program. “It’s a network of practice, education, and exchange. I’ve learned so much—not only about workflows and data pipelines but also about the people behind such a large-scale study.”
Outside of research, Martina enjoys reading novels, practicing Pilates, and taking mindful breaks. “That balance helps me stay focused. And ultimately, it’s in those moments that new ideas are born.” Her motivation remains clear: “I want to help people indirectly—by delivering clean, comprehensible results that truly move health research forward.”
Young NAKO
With the “YoungNAKO” program, NAKO e.V. promotes junior researchers in the field of epidemiology.
The YoungNAKO Graduate Program is a training program for junior researchers who work with data from population-based cohort studies, such as the NAKO Health Study (NAKO). Graduates of the program are trained to design and analyze their own studies based on NAKO data and to apply for funding for future NAKO-related projects.
The course has a hybrid structure and is divided into in-person and online events. In addition, annual WinterSchools on various thematic topics are organized to promote exchange and networking with other students, professors, and researchers.
Cooperation Partners:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Epidemiologie (DGEpi)
Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (GMDS)
Apply Now: Second Cohort Starts May 2026 !
The application phase for the second cohort of the YoungNAKO Graduate Program has begun.
Application Deadline: March 15, 2026
Apply via email to: YoungNAKO.grad@uni-muenster.de
Apply now and join us in researching the health questions of tomorrow!