Prize for public engagement: Dr. Kristina Hopfensperger wins ‘From Idea to Impact’

A great success for our colleague Dr. Kristina Hopfensperger: the young research group leader at our institute has won the ‘From Idea to Impact’ competition. Initiated by the University of Tübingen's Excellence Initiative, the competition promotes innovative formats of science communication with prize money of up to €5,000.

With her project "Update HIV: Update your knowledge about HIV", Dr. Hopfensperger aims to remove the taboo surrounding HIV/AIDS. This is because people living with HIV today suffer more from discrimination and stigmatisation than from the infection itself. Although modern therapies now enable HIV-positive people to live a good and long life, they are still unable to live openly because prejudice and fear remain widespread.

Together with the Aidshilfe Tübingen-Reutlingen e.V., Ms. Hopfensperger is therefore collecting prejudices and experiences of discrimination from people living with HIV in Tübingen and the surrounding area. Documented in short video clips and scientifically classified, the stories are intended to encourage visitors to question their own (supposed) knowledge and behavior to combat prejudice. In addition, an interactive quiz invites visitors to test their knowledge in a playful way and shows whether their knowledge still corresponds to that of the 1980s or is already up to date. The data collected this way can be voluntarily donated for research purposes.

The exhibition also highlights historical milestones in the fight against HIV/AIDS and offers insights into current research at the institute. Visitors can anonymously ask questions, which are answered by experts. Accompanying evening events in a relaxed atmosphere facilitate personal conversations between HIV-positive people, researchers, medical professionals and the interested public.

With ‘Update HIV’, Dr. Hopfensperger combines scientific expertise, social relevance and creative exhibition design, a compelling concept that will be on display from 11 June to 8 November 2026 on the third floor of the City Museum Tübingen.