Tag: YoungNAKO

Faces of YoungNAKO: Environment, health and the search for patterns

How does our environment affect our health? For Asmaa Alselwi, a doctoral student at Helmholtz Munich, this question is central. Her goal is to reveal complex relationships and derive possible courses of action from them. In this interview, she talks about what fascinates her about epidemiological research, how she came to YoungNAKO, and why good […]

Mental health during the pandemic: NAKO shows increased burden

A recent analysis of the German National Cohort (NAKO) of around 80,000 adults shows that while the majority of NAKO participants kept their mental health stable during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and stress increased until 2022 – especially among younger adults under the age of 40 and among women. […]

Faces of YoungNAKO: Research between city air, statistics and health relevance 

His path into research was anything but coincidental. He combines technical expertise from his bachelor’s degree in medical information management with health science perspectives from his master’s degree in public health in Innsbruck, a combination that gives him a particularly broad perspective today.  Why do some people get ill – and others don’t?  From an […]

Faces of YoungNAKO: “We bring a breath of fresh air and new perspectives”

Sehajpreet is a doctoral researcher in radiation epidemiology. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and her Master’s in Epidemiology at the University of Bremen Which aspects are most important to you in your work? “The meaningfulness and usefulness of science in improving the health of others, especially in the field of radiation protection. […]

Register now for the information event on the YoungNAKO graduate programme

Doctoral students working with large-scale population-based cohort studies like the German National Cohort (NAKO) are cordially invited to an online information event on the YoungNAKO graduate programme on 25 March. Please register by e-mail. Participation is free of charge. How is the training programme for early career researchers structured? What specific skills or knowledge can […]

Faces of YoungNAKO: “I want to use data to help people”

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 […]

Apply Now: YoungNAKO Graduate Programme Starts in May 2026

The Graduate Programme is a 20-month training programme for early-career researchers working with data from population-based cohort studies, such as the German National Cohort (NAKO). Graduates will be trained to design and analyze their own studies based on NAKO data and to apply for funding for future NAKO-related projects. The programme is managed by a […]

First Epi Study Nurse course at NAKO successfully completed

On 24 June 2025, 22 participants successfully completed the first Epi Study Nurse course “Conducting Epidemiological Studies” of the NAKO Health Study. The course, organised by Dr. Sylvia Gastell, Head of the NAKO Study Centre Berlin-South/Brandenburg at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE), and NAKO Board Member Prof. Dr. Tamara Schikowski, teaches the […]

New Board of Directors of NAKO e. V.: Annette Peters appointed as Chair

The General Assembly of NAKO e. V. has elected a new Board of Directors. Professor Dr. Annette Peters, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich, will assume the role of Chair. The newly appointed, voluntary Board of Directors started its three-year term on 1 April 2025. In addition to Professor Dr. Annette Peters […]