Leibniz-Chair at BIPS: Lucia Reisch appointed for another five years

"I am very pleased about the renewed recommendation of the Presidential Board of the Leibniz Association and look forward to the further cooperation with Lucia Reisch," says Prof. Dr. Iris Pigeot, Director of BIPS. "Of particular importance to us is that she will directly contribute her experience, networks and expertise to BIPS' research planning, thus sharpening our international profile."

"I am very grateful to the Presidium of the Leibniz Association for allowing me to cooperate with BIPS for another five years as Leibniz Chair," says Prof. Dr. Lucia Reisch. "During this time, I plan to work very closely between the El-Erian Institute and BIPS. In doing so, I would like to put a focus on obesity prevention, nudging for health and active mobility, as well as generally strengthening the collaboration with BIPS."

"We are excited to work even more closely with Lucia Reisch as we continue to expand implementation research at our institute. We greatly appreciate her expertise and willingness to cooperate along this path," adds Prof. Dr. Hajo Zeeb. He is head of the Department of Prevention and Evaluation at BIPS, where the Leibniz Chair is located. "We value her as an advisor and discussion partner for example for research topics around health policy and its implementation. This contact has been used frequently, especially in the context of the BIPS-led international PEN consortium. She is also an important driving force in the intensification of policy-oriented research on physical activity and nutrition."

Prof. Dr. Lucia Reisch has held the El Erian Professorship in Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at the University of Cambridge since 2021. She is one of Europe's leading experts in the field of behavioral public policy for sustainability. Lucia Reisch also has two decades of experience in policy consulting on consumer behavior. For example, she was the founding chair of the Advisory Council for Consumer Affairs of the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. She has also been a member of the Bioeconomy Council and a regular member of high-level scientific committees that have advised the Chancellor on sustainability issues (e.g., the Ethics Commission after Fukushima, 2011). Beyond the German government, she has advised international organizations (EU, OECD, UNEP, World Bank, Inter-American Bank) and governments around the world on the use of insights from behavioral research.

Leibniz Chairs express a particularly close relationship between an international researcher and a Leibniz institution. They must be of high international reputation and have rendered long-term and special service to the Leibniz Institute. Leibniz institutes can apply centrally for the appointment of the scientist to an honorary Leibniz Chair. In case of a positive decision of the presidium, the supervisory body of the Leibniz Institute appoints the nominee - usually for a period of five years.

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BIPS - Health research in the service of the people

BIPS is one of the oldest epidemiology institutes in Germany and is one of the leading international institutes in this field. The population is at the center of our research. We develop effective strategies for the prevention of chronic, non-communicable diseases. The primary goal is to set the course for a healthy life at an early stage. Our research spectrum ranges from method development and the identification of disease causes to intervention and implementation research.

BIPS coordinates the Northwest Cluster of the NAKO Health Study, the largest health study in Germany. It led the IDEFICS/I.Family cohort study, the largest survey of dietary behavior in European children. Since 2004, BIPS has maintained and expanded the Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database (GePaRD), which contains data from approximately 20 percent of the German general population and is one of the largest of its kind in the world. In September 2016, BIPS was also named a WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Nutrition and Physical Activity.

BIPS is a member of the Leibniz Association, to which 97 independent leading research institutions belong. The Leibniz Institutes' research activities range from natural sciences, engineering and environmental sciences to economics, spatial and social sciences and the humanities. Leibniz Institutes are dedicated to socially, economically and ecologically relevant issues. Due to their importance for the whole country, the federal and state governments jointly support the institutes of the Leibniz Association. The Leibniz institutes employ around 20,000 people, including 10,000 scientists and researchers. The institutes have a total budget of more than 1.9 billion euros.