ComLab #10 Living longer, living better – Sustainable innovation in healthcare, environmental research and technology

ComLab#10 in Berlin: Turning Knowledge into Stories

For the tenth time, IJP and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation invited international journalists and researchers to Berlin for ComLab#10. The programme fosters global collaboration between science and media, offering dialogue, training and joint storytelling. From pitch coaching to storytelling sessions, participants refined their skills to translate complex knowledge into accessible narratives.

This year’s theme was Longevity: How can health, environment, urban planning, agriculture and AI contribute to longer, healthier lives? And how can journalism make these issues visible in the public debate?

The highlight of the four-day bootcamp was the final pitching session, where mixed teams presented their projects in just one minute. The jury recognised the following:

• Bombs and Butterflies (Jenna Kunze & Kirsten Traynor):
  German military bases as biodiversity hotspots – and the risks of renewed militarization.
• Batteries Be Gone (Tabitha Taylor Buck & Amritesh Kumar):
  A podcast following a young Parkinson’s patient, highlighting how wireless brain implants could reduce invasive surgery.
• H₂O No (Martyna Krajewska & Florian Sturm):
  A data-driven feature uncovering hidden micropollutants in German tap water.
• AI, Agents of Change (Trisha Husada & Aaron Niederman):
  How AI voice agents can empower gig workers by breaking down language barriers.
• Peer Award – The World’s Youngest and Loneliest (Sofia Christensen & Shuyan Liu):
  A multimedia story on loneliness among Africa’s youth.

These projects reflect the essence of ComLab: when science and journalism come together, stories emerge that cross borders, challenge perspectives and spark new ideas.

A detailed summary of ComLab#10 can be found on the website of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: ComLab#10 – Forever young?

ComLab at Berlin Science Week 2025

In November 2025, ComLab was featured at Berlin Science Week:

Our fellows Sofia Christensen (IJP Alumna and freelance journalist) and Shuyan Liu (Charité Berlin) discussed what contributes to a long and healthy life – and how loneliness, often an underestimated factor, affects our health.

Find more impressions from the panel on LinkedIn.

Photos: Mo Wüstenhagen