Dr Christine Blume and science journalist Ilka Eliana Knigge have been awarded this year’s prize for science communication and science journalism by the German Psychological Society (DGPs) for their podcast ‘About Sleep’.
In May 2023, Christine Blume and Ilka Knigge launched the podcast Über Schlafen, which is offered by Deutschlandfunk Nova. In their weekly podcast, the scientist and science journalist answer everyday questions about sleep, such as how our sleep changes over the course of our lives, how effective a power nap is and what tips there are for falling asleep better.
Based on scientific findings, the podcasters also repeatedly dispel myths about sleep and insomnia, and each podcast is accompanied by an informative online article. In its laudatory speech, the jury emphasised that Christine Blume and Ilka Knigge repeatedly succeed in using vivid examples and clear explanations to shed light on the influence of sleep on life, while presenting key studies in an understandable way and linking them transparently.
‘The podcast by Christine Blume and Ilka Knigge is an excellent example of good science communication and, above all, of a successful bridge between science and science journalism,’ says DGPs President Stefan Schulz-Hardt, summarising the decision of the jury and the DGPs Executive Board. ‘Together, they manage to bring lively and interesting contributions into a discursive format based on their respective expertise and always select topics in such a way that questions close to everyday life, which listeners could also ask themselves, are addressed and answered.’
Dr Christine Blume is a sleep researcher and sleep therapist at the University of Basel and the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel. Her current focus is on researching the effect of factors such as light and physical activity on sleep and people’s internal biological clocks. She is also interested in the processing of environmental stimuli during sleep.
Collaboration between sleep expert and science journalist
Christine Blume studied psychology at the Universities of Würzburg and Cambridge and then completed her doctorate at the Laboratory for Sleep and Consciousness Research at the University of Salzburg. Since 2019, she has been a scientific project manager at the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Basel, where she has headed a junior research group funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation since April 2022. She also works as a sleep therapist in the sleep outpatient clinic at the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel.
Since 2018, she has also regularly appeared on Deutschlandfunk Nova as a sleep expert. This collaboration resulted in the podcast ‘Über Schlafen’ in May 2023. Christine Blume has already received several awards for her scientific work, most recently the Biopsychology Research Award 2024 from the DGPs Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology Division
Ilka Knigge is a science journalist and presenter. She completed her Master’s degree and journalism training at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and the German School of Journalism and specialises in topics such as climate change and current political and social developments. She is a presenter for Bayerischer Rundfunk and Deutschlandfunk Nova, among others, and hosts various podcast formats. Ilka Knigge’s work has been honoured several times.
Prize for science journalism and science communication
The Prize for Science Journalism and Science Communication is awarded by the DGPs to individuals or institutions that have made an outstanding contribution to the presentation of psychological research in the media. The award was presented to the two winners on 16 September 2024 at the DGPs Congress in Vienna.
The German Psychological Society DGPs is an association of psychologists working in research and teaching. Its more than 5600 members conduct research into human experience and behaviour. They publish, teach and take a stand in the world of universities, research, politics and everyday life.