Melanie Brinkmann heads a research group at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, teaches at the University of Braunschweig and has been Deputy Chair of the Federal Government’s Expert Council since December. As a basic researcher, she actually specializes in herpes viruses and their effects on the immune system. With the outbreak of the corona pandemic, however, she abandoned her research and devoted herself entirely to the new virus. In the stern podcast “Die Boss”, the virologist tells how she became a sought-after expert in the media and politics.
“Herpes viruses and corona viruses are not at all similar. But what can be said clearly, nobody knew this new virus,” she says in an interview with “Die Boss” host Simone Menne. “I’ve followed exactly what’s happening right now, what’s the development like, what new findings are there and I got completely involved.” performed indoors and thus made a name for itself in the public debate.
Brinkmann has not only become a sought-after interview partner in the media, but also advises the state government of Lower Saxony and the federal government. “Decisions had to be made on a very weak basis. We still knew so little. That was a big challenge,” the virologist recalls at the beginning of the pandemic.
In this episode of “Die Boss”, the virologist looks back on three years of the pandemic, addresses failures on the part of politicians and explains what good science communication should be able to do. “What I really missed was that there was clear communication between politicians: What is the actual strategy,” reports Brinkmann.
At “The Boss – Power is Female” top women speak among themselves: hostess and member of the supervisory board Simone Menne (including BMW, Deutsche Post DHL, Henkel) meets female bosses from all areas of society to talk to them about their lives and careers. “Die Boss” appears fortnightly on Wednesdays on stern.de and the stern YouTube channel as well as on RTL and all common podcast platforms.
