{"id":8876,"date":"2026-08-18T11:35:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T09:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/?post_type=hbi-publications&p=8876"},"modified":"2026-08-29T10:20:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T08:20:45","slug":"consultation-with-dr-insta","status":"publish","type":"hbi-publications","link":"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/en\/hbi-publications\/consultation-with-dr-insta\/","title":{"rendered":"Consultation with Dr. Insta"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CoverThe latest issue of the Leibniz Association\u2019s magazine focuses on the topic of ‘Medicine’ as part of Science Year 2026. Dr. Claudia Lampert<\/a>, head of the Health Communication research group at the HBI, discusses health influencers in an interview.<\/p>\n

The issue is only available in German and can be downloaded for free here<\/a><\/strong>. The interview with Dr Lampert begins on page 19.<\/p>\n

For so-called health influencers, social media is a lucrative business. Why do these (often self-proclaimed) health experts resonate so well with young people in particular? And when does trust turn into risk?<\/p>\n

Claudia Lampert explains: ‘They use mechanisms that make social media powerful overall: emotional appeal, visual dramatisation and an aesthetic presentation that captures attention. People often come across this content not because they\u2019re actively looking for it, but because it appears in their feed. A jarring image, a dramatic statement or a personal confession \u2014 all of this ensures that people get hooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Healthfluencers reach 15- to 25-year-olds in particular. A sense of belonging, self-identification and searching for answers play a major role during this phase of life, says Lampert, who adds: \u2018When people appear who seem approachable, describe similar problems, or promise simple solutions, it quickly has an impact.\u2019<\/p>\n

The researcher views health-related misinformation as a significant risk. If people blindly trust recommendations, false or misleading information could have serious consequences, especially in the health sector. Added to this are commercial interests, opaque advertising and unrealistic promises of cures. It is particularly problematic when personal experiences, product advertising and supposed expertise become intertwined to the point where they are almost impossible to distinguish from one another. “When dealing with serious illnesses, people are often willing to cling to things that aren’t evidence-based as long as they offer a glimmer of hope,” says Claudia Lampert.<\/p>\n

Other Articles in This Issue<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Herzensprojekt<\/span> [A Labor of Love]<\/strong>: When he was a student, Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann had a strikingly simple idea: he wanted to repair damaged hearts in the same way that broken car engines are repaired \u2014 with a patch made of beating cells. The fact that this idea is saving lives a quarter of a century later is due in no small part to the work of R\u00fcdiger Behr, a biologist at the German Primate Centre \u2013 Leibniz Institute for Primate Research. A visit to G\u00f6ttingen.<\/li>\n
  • Der Weg der Pest<\/span> [The Path of the Plague]<\/strong>: In the late Middle Ages, millions of people in Europe fell victim to the Black Death. For a long time, biological warfare was considered the decisive trigger for these mass deaths. However, climate historian Martin Bauch of the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe proved that there were almost certainly other underlying causes. He is also convinced that this knowledge is particularly important today.<\/li>\n
  • Heilendes Blut<\/span> [Healing Blood]<\/strong>: Usually, it ends up in the bin with the tampon. However, for immunobiologist Ping Shen, menstrual blood is not a waste product associated with shame, but rather a promising area of research that could enable millions of people to lead healthier lives. At the German Rheumatism Research Center in Berlin, she presented the potential of this underestimated blood.<\/li>\n
  • Einfache Dosis<\/span> [A Simple Dose]<\/strong>: More than half a million people die of malaria each year, in part because treatment is often stopped prematurely. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, has developed a new therapy.<\/li>\n
  • K\u00fcnstliche Helferlein<\/span> [Artificial Helpers]<\/strong>: They lend a hand in the lab, the operating room, and during treatment. Five researchers explain how their AI projects are transforming medicine.<\/li>\n
  • Altwerden<\/span> [Aging]<\/strong>: The researchers aren’t looking for the keys to eternal life; rather, they’re searching for clues on how we can stay healthy for as long as possible. Have the researchers at the Leibniz Institute on Aging found what they\u2019re looking for?<\/li>\n
  • Untersch\u00e4tzte Allesk\u00f6nner<\/span> [Underestimated All-Rounders]<\/strong>: Fungi are everywhere: in the soil, air, water, and on and inside our bodies. They are indispensable to humans\u2014and dangerous. The infographic provides an overview.<\/li>\n
  • Langzeitstudie<\/span> [Long-Term Study]<\/strong>: For Iris Pigeot of the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology (BIPS), data is the key to a healthier life. The statistician has analyzed it for a quarter of a century.<\/li>\n
  • Marktversagen mit Todesfolge<\/span> [Market Failure with Fatal Consequences]<\/strong>: What will happen if we fail to get the antibiotic crisis under control? According to Renate Hartwig, a development economist at the RWI\u2014Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, the consequences are already becoming apparent today.<\/li>\n
  • Operationsbestecke<\/span> [Surgical Instruments]<\/strong>: In the past, when it was necessary to remove a projectile or examine the inside of the skull, these instruments were always close at hand. Take a look at the medical history collection of the Germanic National Museum\u2014Leibniz Research Museum for Cultural History.<\/li>\n
  • M\u00e4chtige Wunderwaffe<\/span> [A Powerful Wonder Weapon]<\/strong>: In Regensburg, researchers aim to reprogram T-cells to cure cancer and autoimmune diseases. Take a tour of the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy.<\/li>\n
  • Die Einsamkeitsforscherin<\/span> [The Loneliness Researcher]<\/strong>: Loneliness is considered a silent epidemic. Psychologist Maike Luhmann has studied it for 15 years and debunked many clich\u00e9s.<\/li>\n
  • Diabetes? Nein danke!<\/span> [Diabetes? No, Thank You!]<\/strong> This time, the kids’ page focuses on diabetes and how to prevent it.<\/li>\n
  • Gef\u00e4hrliche Quacksalber?<\/span>[Dangerous Quacks?]<\/strong> Posts on medical and psychological topics are big business for \u201chealthfluencers.\u201d When does trust and closeness become risky? An interview.<\/li>\n
  • Epilog [Epilogue]<\/strong>: Can Deadly Substances Heal? Claudia Koch, a researcher at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change who studies venomous snakes, provides the answer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u201cleibniz\u201d Magazine<\/h2>\n

    \u201cleibniz\u201d is the magazine of the Leibniz Association, whose 96 institutes are dedicated to topics across all fields of knowledge. The magazine highlights their research and the more than 20,000 people behind it. It also explores the role of science in our daily lives and society.<\/p>\n

    Lampert, Claudia (2026): “Sprechstunde bei Dr. Insta<\/span>\u201c\u00a0 [Consultation with Dr. Insta.]. In: Leibniz-Magazin<\/em>, 2\/2026, Special Issue “Medizin” [Medicine], pp. 19-21.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2579,"template":"","tags":[398],"class_list":["post-8876","hbi-publications","type-hbi-publications","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-miscellaneous"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nConsultation with Dr. Insta - Leibniz Institut f\u00fcr Medienforschung | Leibniz Institute for Media Research<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/en\/hbi-publications\/consultation-with-dr-insta\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Consultation with Dr. Insta\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The latest issue of the Leibniz Association\u2019s magazine focuses on the topic of ‘Medicine’ as part of Science Year 2026. 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