Sigrid März comes to the IPB as "Journalist in Residence"

Sigrid März works as a freelance science journalist, editor and author with a clear focus on evidence-based medicine. She is co-founder of "Investigativstation", a research collective for investigative research on health and consumer protection issues, and previously worked in a leading position for the online medium MedWatch, among others. Her journalistic work has been honoured several times, including with the "Evidence-based medicine in the media" journalism award. In addition to her journalistic work, she gives workshops on science journalism, data literacy and study evaluation.

Women's health and gender bias 

At the centre of her stay at the IPB is a historical pharmaceutical case with high social relevance. The drug is still suspected of having caused malformations in unborn babies. Many of those affected are still fighting for recognition.

For März, the case is more than just a medical history issue. It raises fundamental questions about gender bias in medicine, structural inequalities in healthcare and social power relations. Diseases that predominantly affect women are historically and currently often under-researched and stigmatised.

During her stay, she would like to examine the following questions in particular: Would a comparable case still be possible today? What psychological, social, political and economic factors influence women's health? And how do access to healthcare, reproductive rights or migration affect medical care and research?

Interdisciplinary exchange at the IPB

At the IPB, Sigrid März is planning a close dialogue with scientists from different disciplines. She would particularly like to build on the work in the field of women's health, stigmatisation and empowerment. The interdisciplinary orientation of the institute – with expertise from medicine, psychology, social sciences and public health – offers an important resonance space for her project.

With the "Journalist in Residence" programme, the IPB strengthens the dialogue between research and journalism – and creates space for a differentiated, evidence-based examination of socially highly relevant health topics.