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Organizing Committee
Co-Chairs of the Organizing Committee
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Cecile is an incoming Ph.D. student in Computational Molecular Biology at Brown University, aiming to research the evolution of diseases, such as cancer and malaria, to investigate therapy resistance and potential innovative therapeutics using machine learning and computational tools. Besides, Cecile is currently developing a tumor evolution model at Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School. In her free time, Cecile enjoys doing trips such as hiking in the White Mountains or going on bike rides. She has been part of the GAC team since 2019.
Linn is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. Within her studies, she focuses on cybersecurity, national security, and international relations. As co-chair of the German American Conference 2022, she hopes to create space for dialogue and to strengthen the transatlantic relationship. Before coming to Harvard, Linn has worked for McKinsey Digital & Analytics, where she served clients across three different continents and in more than 10 different countries.
Members of the Organizing Committee
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Addie is an undergraduate student at Harvard from Raleigh, North Carolina. Planning to study Government and German (and maybe History), she is particularly interested in European affairs, refugee issues, and comparative politics. She enjoys writing for the Harvard International Review, researching and crafting policy with the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative, and helping Harvard community members pass the U.S. civics exam through Institute of Politics citizenship tutoring. In her free time, Addie loves writing poetry, listening to Journey, petting dogs, frolicking around art museums, and drinking coffee. Her life goals include German fluency and meeting Angela Merkel in person.
Andreas is a fifth-year medical student at Hannover Medical School in Germany. He is currently pursuing his doctoral thesis in the field of transplant immunology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on the impact of aging and hormones in the context of organ transplantation. Before moving to Boston, he worked for the German Organ Transplantation Foundation, where he conducted organ transport flights throughout Europe. In his spare time, Andreas enjoys playing tennis, skiing, and going to BSO concerts.
Anita is pursuing her Bachelors in International Business at Northeastern University in Boston but originally hails from New Jersey. She has specifically concentrated her studies on Supply Chain Management and has worked in transportation and logistics at companies like The TJX Companies, Kimberly-Clark, and Mondelēz. She was drawn to getting involved with the GAC due to her strong interests in intercultural exchange, the German-American relationship, and connecting with different types of people. When not working on logistics at work or for the GAC, she enjoys traveling throughout the US and the wider world, studying languages like German, playing trivia, skiing, and perfecting her homemade matcha lattes.
Anna is a fourth year medical student in Würzburg, Germany. She is currently working in research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School in the field of NMR Spectroscopy. Pursuing her interest in experimental science, she studies Translational Medicine alongside. In the summer time you can find her playing Ultimate Frisbee or cycling, running, hiking and sailing. Anna also loves to read and grabbing a coffee with friends. If there‘s something with chocolate on the menu, you can be sure what she‘s going for.
Antonia is a third year medical and first year translational medicine student from Würzburg. From a young age on, science always sparked her interest, which made her want to become an astronaut first. Although she opted for a career in medicine, her current research, which aims to create metabolic profiles based on data obtained from NMR, is still deeply connected to basic physics. During her free time, she likes any kind of sport, with running and skiing being her favorites, as well as reading, meeting friends and playing the piano.
An incoming Mid-Career Master's student in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School, Björn is an active-duty German infantry officer focusing on Defence and Security Policy and Human Resource Management. He holds a degree in Political and Social Science with a concentration in public law and public administration from the German Armed Forces University in Munich. He is also a graduate of the German Command and Staff College's International General Staff Officer Course (LGAI 2017). He is interested in international relations and international security and improving his policy analysis and leadership skills.
Christian currently studies Public Administration at Columbia University, focusing on climate change and policy innovation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Politics and Global Sustainable Development from the University of Warwick in the UK and spent two years advising governments and international organizations on climate change and security. Christian is a passionate home cook, loves exploring art galleries, and has developed a love for baseball since moving to the US - much to the confusion of his German friends.
Cosima is a medical doctoral student at the Technical University Munich and a research scholar at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. As a competitive tennis athlete from a young age, she learned how to be a team player and leader, continuously working hard on herself and her goals. This motivation has expanded from the tennis court to the field of ENT. She has a great passion for head and neck surgical oncology, microvascular reconstruction, and translational research in head and neck cancer.
Denys is a PhD student in Population Health Sciences (Epidemiology) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Research Associate at the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Prior to that, he studied medicine at the University of Münster and the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin with a scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. His research interest lies in pharmacoepidemiology and major adverse cardiovascular events. He joined the GAC family in 2018. In his free time, he enjoys discovering new bars and pubs in Greater Boston.
Duc is a Master's student in Information Systems at NYU, where he focuses on strategic information systems and professional consulting through data-driven analytics. He has worked for several management consulting firms focusing on digital business strategies and turnarounds. He enjoys sports and is committed to educational equity.
Elisa is currently studying a Master of Finance at MIT Sloan School of Management. Prior to this, she studied Physics and Business in Frankfurt, Germany. She is very interested in AI and crypto. In her free time, she runs and plays piano.
Erik studies both Medicine and Computer Science in Kiel on the northern coast of Germany. With his background in both subjects, he is currently conducting research in Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. In his free time, Erik enjoys to stay active. He plays soccer, goes running, and occasionally lifts weights. He is also trying hard to get better at tennis (admittedly rather unsuccessfully, however.)
Felix is a second-year undergraduate student at WHU–Otto Beisheim School of Management. In the spring, he was a visiting student at the University of Exeter Business School. Felix specializes in Finance and Management. Through his work at a tech startup, he worked on the implementation of new shared mobility solutions around the world. Currently, Felix works in Investment Management, where he is involved in equity research and investment decisions. Apart from work, he researches how the world’s largest asset managers’ changing sentiment regarding ethics and climate change will influence markets in the future. In his free time, Felix is involved in politics and is a passionate pianist.
Felix is a fourth-year medical student at Charité University in Berlin, Germany. As a research student at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, he currently investigates why pancreatic cancers are so refractory to immunotherapy. Felix’s great passion for engaging students in research led him to cofound the first German student healthcare journal in 2020, aiming to anchor a new self-image in the minds of young researchers. Besides that, he is very interested in daily politics with a focus on the US, China, and Sub-Saharan Africa. With a background in football, it is easy to motivate Felix for nearly any kind of team sport in his free time.
Gaurav is a student at The Fletcher School in Boston, where he is pursuing a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy. His research interests include artificial intelligence, privacy, cyberpolicy, and the influence of developing technologies on society, and he has 16 years of working experience in the telecom and automotive sectors. He wants to build a transparent, human-centric data governance approach that prioritizes social impact and promotes ethical computing practices across all industries. Gaurav speaks English, Hindi, German, and Polish fluently. He enjoys exploring cities, playing squash and badminton, and capturing moments with his camera in his spare time.
Jan is a research assistant and second year PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the Institute of Assembly Technology, Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. As a visiting researcher at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, he is currently working on robotic exosuits for post-stroke rehabilitation through functional electric stimulation. Jan has a passion for his work and travel, and therefore takes advantage of his employment as a research assistant for conference tourism.
Julia is a 4th year medical student at University of Lübeck, Germany. She’s currently conducting part of her MD thesis in pancreatic cancer research at MGH. She investigates the tumor stroma crosstalk in metastatic pancreatic cancer using 2D and 3D cell models to identify signaling pathways and targets for potential new treatment strategies. In her free time, Julia loves hiking, sailing on the Charles River, and cooking fancy dinners with her roommates.
Kai studied psychology at Saarland University and currently works as a lab manager at Harvard Business School in Boston. In his research, he cooperates with international organizations to learn more about why employees (don't) have a passion for their work. His enthusiasm for science is mirrored in his weekly psychology podcast "Positiv Korreliert". Kai regularly forces his friends to go to Harvard sports events with him for the free merch, and he regularly, but unsuccessfully, attempts yoga and comedy improv.
Katharina is currently a consultant at Boston Consulting Group and an incoming MBA student at Harvard Business School. Prior to joining BCG, Katharina obtained a B.A. and M.A. in Politics and International Relations with a focus on transatlantic relations. In her free time, she likes reading books and playing tennis.
Laetitia is a fourth year medical student and is currently working as a Research Student at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, where she investigates perioperative outcome and tries to optimize patient care in anesthesiology and critical care. Her placement at BIDMC is also a part of her MD thesis. Laetitia has experience in both surgery–as a surgical assistant at one of the leading hospitals in Vienna–as well as in research. If Laetitia is not in the lab, you can most certainly find her on some tennis court or on her bike.
Laura Schütz is a graduate student at Stanford University. After having completed a Bachelor in Architecture and a Master in Industrial Design at Technical University of Munich, she is now studying a MS in Design Impact, where she applies design methods to problem solving in the healthcare sector. Her research focuses on user-centered design for medical applications. Medical augmented reality solutions and the evaluation of usability criteria through clinical studies are at the core of her work. Besides her studies, Laura has gained entrepreneurial experience through her former role as a female founder in MedTech.
Lisa is a M.Sc. Management & Computer Science student at TU Munich passionate about entrepreneurship and climate tech. In the past, she worked in startups and venture capital in Singapore, Uganda, and Germany. She is currently a visiting researcher at MIT Climate CoLab and planning to found or join an early stage startup in the climate tech space within the next year.
Luca Johann is a final-year medical student and second-year business student at Philipps-University Marburg and scholarship holder of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. For the past two years, Luca Johann worked as a Visiting Researcher at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and as an MD candidate at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. His anesthesiology and critical care research focuses on the treatment of COVID-19 patients and mitigating racial disparities in perioperative care using digital health data. He joined the GAC team in 2020. In his free time, he enjoys going on rides with his road bike or sailing.
Luke is an undergraduate student at Boston University currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Physics, with minors in Mathematics and the German language. Although his current home is Boston, he grew up in Lebanon, Ohio. He has been learning German from the age of twelve and hope to actively uses it in his professional career someday. In his free time, he enjoys going on walks, reading, and playing the piano. He also has a passion for cooking.
Marvin is a fourth-year medical student at Heidelberg University. He is currently working on his MD thesis in the Department of Neurology at Boston Children's Hospital. With the aim of expanding treatment options, he investigates the cellular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases that affect children at an early age. In addition to his passion for basic research, he enjoys his spare time running through Boston's parks or along the Charles River. He is also very interested in international politics and therefore happy to contribute to this year's GAC.
A third-year undergraduate at Boston University, Max Lohse is majoring in Biology with a specialization in cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics. He is also minoring in German and on the pre-med track. As an undergraduate researcher in the Blower Lab at the Boston University School of Medicine, he is working on investigating various applications of CRISPR/Cas9. He has been learning German his whole life and hopes to be able to actively use it in the future. During his leisure time, he practices with the water polo team at BU, where he is the vice president.
Max is a second-year Masters student in Biophysics at the Technical University of Munich and holds a degree in Technology Management from the Center for Digital Technology and Management. He is interested in complex systems and applications of physics to economics and financial markets. At the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, he is a visiting researcher in the area of AI-augmented human-computer interaction. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors, is enthusiastic about sports, and is passionate about eating spicy Asian food.
Maximilian is a fourth-year medical student at Charité – Berlin University of Medicine where he currently serves as an elected member of the academic committee. His research, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service, focuses on the transfer of aging in organ transplantation. With a background in mathematics and economics, he is highly interested in entrepreneurship and startups. After his time at Brigham Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, he will continue his medical studies at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. As a sports enthusiast, Max enjoys powder skiing, sailing and baseball.
Maya is a medical student at Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen and holds a scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. However, she is currently based in New York, working as a Visiting Researcher at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She does research in the field of Anesthesia and Critical Care using digital health data. In her free time, she enjoys sports, reading, and spending time outside and with friends.
Mila grew up in San Diego, California, but moved to Boston in 2020 to study Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern University, where she is also pursuing minors in History and Law and Public Policy. She is currently working for an immigration advocacy organization where she works in outreach and helps immigrants apply for citizenship. She is also interning at the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations. In her free time, she enjoys making and looking at art, going thrifting and to concerts with friends, and traveling.
Natalia is a fourth-year medical student at TU Munich. As an MD candidate in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital, her research focuses on a better understanding of the mechanisms behind rare congenital heart diseases and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Organizing worldwide exchange programs for medical students and working in a medical aid organization, Natalia believes strongly in the international exchange of knowledge in the medical field. In her free time, Natalia plays tennis and the piano and enjoys reading and road biking.
Peter currently studies German Literature and Economics at Harvard College. After completing a year of high school in North Rhine-Westphalia, German studies have been the cornerstone of his academic and extracurricular endeavors. On campus, Peter is involved with Effective Altruism, the German Club, the Arts and Crafts Club, and the Political Union. A proud New Jerseyan, Peter is an avid skier, lover of fantasy, and will always put off his work to spend time with his friends.
Priscilla Bonsu is a licensed Attorney and a Foreign Legal Advisor at Wuersch & Gering LLP, a boutique law firm on Wall Street where she focuses on U.S., cross-border and international business transactions. She is from Saarbrücken, Germany and graduated from the law faculty of the Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg where she focused on German and International Law. Priscilla received her Master’s of Law (LL.M.) from the University of California, Berkeley and her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the Emory University Law School in Atlanta, Georgia. As a Legal Trainee at the World Bank in Washington D.C., she was awarded a DAAD scholarship. Priscilla currently serves as a member of the International Law Section and Business Law Section of the American Bar Association and frequently appears as a legal commentator on international news channels. In her free time, she enjoys traveling.
Rhea is studying at Dartmouth College and is super excited to be a part of the GAC. Although she is still trying to figure out what she is trying to study long-term, she is thinking about some variation of philosophy, politics, and economics. She loves learning about politics, reading about history or economics, traveling, solving math problems, debating, cross-country running, and trying her best to learn German. She is hoping to learn more about organizing events and working as part of a large team.
Sebastian is a PhD student of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the Harvard Division of Medical Sciences and has a background in Molecular Biotechnology from Heidelberg University. His major research interest is understanding how evolution shapes the development of normal tissues and tumors. In particular, he wants to explore how the insights gained might be leveraged to develop new, early-stage diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In his free time, you might find Sebastian in the Vanderbilt Hall gym or visiting his favorite cannoli spots in Boston’s North End.
Vincent is currently pursuing a BSc. degree at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management on a scholarship awarded by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. He currently works with Bain & Company and has previously interned with Henkel and Covestro. These days, Vincent is particularly passionate about private equity consulting. In his free time, he is an avid Spartan race runner and a single-digit handicap golfer.
Yannik is in his last year of law school, which has meant learning non-stop. Politics is what has always motivated him to keep going. So far, his studies and private interests have been more oriented towards the East, especially Eastern Europe. However, the Russian war of aggression has made it painfully clear to him that there is still a need for people who are committed to a strong transatlantic alliance to master current and future crises. Since the outbreak of this war, he has become certain for the first time about what he wants to do with his education. He grew up in a peaceful and future-oriented Europe and believes that future generations should also be able to enjoy this privilege. In addition to these professional ambitions, in recent years he has discovered his passion for being a host: cooking for friends, giving them a good time, and recharging their personal batteries from the challenges that the world presents them with.