Carmen Klinger, M.Sc.

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I am a nutritionist specialized in Public Health Nutrition and Evidence-based Public Health. My particular interest lies in food environment and systems research, sustainable diets, and health equity. My master's thesis assessed the unintended consequences of international travel measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Research Associate, I have supported various projects in the field of food systems research, including an assessment of the legal framework to improve population nutrition in Germany, and several systematic reviews on the effects of public health measures implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. I am currently pursuing my PhD in the international research project FoodSAMSA (Food environments in Africa: Addressing malnutrition using a syndemics approach) - with a particular research focus on commercial determinants of health, i.e. the role of the food industry in addressing the double burden of malnutrition. My teaching covers the fields of public health nutrition, planetary health and evidence-based medicine.

Current projects

• FOOD-FRAMES - A system approach to reform the food information environment to support healthy, sustainable diets: mitigating harmful marketing and misinformation (2026-2029)
• BETRUE - From Beef to bean: the potential of ‘true pricing’ as an instrument for systemic change in the transition to plant-based alternatives (2026-2029)
• YAHEE - Young Adults in Health-Enhancing Equitable Environments (2024-2027; website)
• FoodPlanetH - Food Environments for Planetary Health (2022-2027; website)

Past projects

• FoodSAMSA - Food Environments in Africa: Addressing Malnutrition using a Syndemics Approach (2021-2025; website)
• PEN - Policy Evaluation Network for Policies affecting Dietary and Physical Activity (2019-2022; website)
• CEOsys - Das COVID-19-Evidenz-Ökosystem (2020-2021; website)

Areas of interest

• Public and Planetary Health Nutrition
• Commercial determinants of health
• Food systems, health and sustainability
• Prevention of non-communicable diseases, overweight and obesity
• Prevention of undernutrition including micronutrient deficiencies
• Health equity
• Post-colonial structures in Global Health

Methodological expertise

• Evidence synthesis (systematic reviews, scoping reviews, rapid reviews)
• Qualitative research and Delphi studies
• Mixed-methods evaluations of public health interventions
• Integrated knowledge translation, science communication and stakeholder engagement

Key publications

All publications on Google Scholar, PubMed and ResearchGate.

• Holliday N, Delobelle P, Klinger C, Mchiza Z, Alaba O, Vandevijvere S, von Philipsborn P, Geffert K. Policy implementation and recommendations to address the double burden of malnutrition in South Africa: expert assessment using the expanded Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI). BMC Med. 2025 Jul 1;23(1):360. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-025-04191-y (online, open access).
• Leibinger A, Holliday N, Huizinga O, Klinger C, Okanmelu E, Geffert K, Rehfuess E, von Philipsborn P. Reach and public health implications of proposed new food marketing regulation in Germany: an updated analysis. Eur J Public Health. 2024;ckae087. DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckae087 (online, open access).
• von Philipsborn P, Geffert K, Klinger C, Hebestreit A, Stratil J, Rehfuess EA; PEN Consortium. Nutrition policies in Germany: a systematic assessment with the Food Environment Policy Index. Public Health Nutr. 2022;25(6):1691-1700. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980021004742 (online, open access).
• Klinger C, Burns J, Movsisyan A, Biallas R, Norris SL, Rabe JE, Stratil JM, Voss S, Wabnitz K, Rehfuess EA, Verboom B. Unintended health and societal consequences of international travel measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review. J Travel Med. 2021;taab123. DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taab123 (online, open access).

Further publications are listed below.

Work experience

• since 05/2025: Team Lead Public Health Nutrition, Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, IBE, LMU Munich, Germany
• 2021 - present: Research Associate, Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, IBE, LMU Munich, Germany
• 2020 - 2021: Research Assistant, Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, IBE, LMU Munich, Germany
• 2019 - 2020: Intern, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) / WHO, Washington D.C., USA
• 2018 - 2019: Research Assistant, LMU University Hospital of Munich (PEACHES study), Germany
• 2017 - 2018: Student Employee, Celgene, Department of Commercial Operations, Munich, Germany
• 2016 - 2017: Student Employee, insurance company WWK, Company catering, Munich, Germany
• 2014 - 2016: Research Assistant, Young Academy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
• 2013: Intern, South American Tours (SAT), Quito, Ecuador

Degrees & Certifications

• Master of Science in Public Health (MSc) Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany (Thesis: Unintended health and societal consequences of international travel measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review, open access).
• Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science (BSc) Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany (Thesis: Persistence of thermophilic spore-forming bacteria in milk powder production plants and their survival in cleaning solution)
• Bachelor of Arts in Tourism Management (BA) Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany (Thesis: Accessible tourism in Ecuador – Blind and visually impaired people as a potential market segment)

Teaching

• Public Health Nutrition (1-week intensive course in the Master Programmes in Public Health and Epidemiology and the PhD Programme Public Health & Epidemiology, LMU Munich, starting in February 2023; Course outline)
• Food Systems, Climate Change and Global Health (10-day summer school course for the German National Academic Scholarship Foundation or Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, August 2022; Course guide in German)
• Planetary Health Diet / Sustainable Nutrition (Lecture in the Global Nutrition Course, LMU Center for International Health, since 2022)
• Public Health Nutrition (Lecture in the Core Course International Health, LMU Center for International Health, since 2021)
• Applying a de-colonial lens to global health research and practice (Lecture in the Master Programme Public Health, LMU Munich, since 2023)
• Health Policy (Lecture in the Master Programme Public Health, LMU Munich, since 2022)
• Evidence-based Medicine (Lecture and seminar for medical students, LMU Munich, since 2021; Course guide in German)

Peer-Review

Peer Reviewer: Globalization & Health, Public Health Nutrition, BMJ Open, Heliyon

Science Communication

• Munich Science Communication Lab (MSCL) - Project member: Positive and negative documentary film framing for effective science communication in the Anthropocene: an experiment to reduce food waste

Further publications

Key publications are listed above.

Journal articles (peer-reviewed)

• Holliday N, Muhali MK, Lembani M, Nonkeneza H, Feni M, Mchiza ZJ, Hill J, Klinger C, Rehfuess EA, von Philipsborn P, Delobelle P. Drivers and levers of the double burden of malnutrition in Cape Town, South Africa: insights from in-depth interviews with multi-sectoral stakeholders. BMC Public Health. 2025 Aug 29;25(1):2966. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-24210-0.
• Holliday N, Leibinger A, Huizinga O, Klinger C, Okanmelu EC, Geffert K, Rehfuess EA, von Philipsborn P. Use of the WHO Nutrient Profile Model for Food Marketing Regulation in Germany: Feasibility and Public Health Implications. Obes Facts. 2024;17(2):109-120. DOI: 10.1159/000534542.
• Littlecott H, Krishnaratne S, Burns J, Rehfuess E, Sell K, Klinger C, Strahwald B, Movsisyan A, Metzendorf MI, Schoenweger P, Voss S, Coenen M, Müller-Eberstein R, Pfadenhauer LM. Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 May 2;5(5):CD015029. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015029.pub2.
• Kunzler AM, Lindner S, Röthke N, Schäfer SK, Metzendorf MI, Sachkova A, Müller-Eberstein R, Klinger C, Burns J, Coenen M, Lieb K. Mental Health Impact of Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individuals with Pre-Existing Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Research. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023,20(2),948. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20020948.
• Kratzer S, Pfadenhauer LM, Biallas RL, Featherstone R, Klinger C, Movsisyan A, Rabe JE, Stadelmaier J, Rehfuess E, Wabnitz K, Verboom B. Unintended consequences of measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022, Issue 6. Art.No.: CD015397. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015397.
• Geffert K, Klinger C, Hebestreit A, Rehfuess E, von Philipsborn P. Ernährungsförderliche Politikmaßnahmen – eine Übersicht der Herausforderungen und Möglichkeiten für Deutschland im internationalen Vergleich. Adipositas. 2022;16:98-105. DOI: 10.1055/a-1782-4959.
• Wabnitz K, Klinger C, von Philipsborn P. Diabetogene Umweltfaktoren (CME Zertifizierte Fortbildung). Diabetologie. 2022. DOI: 10.1007/s11428-022-00911-7.
• Krishnaratne S, Littlecott H, Sell K, Burns J, Rabe JE, Stratil JM, Litwin T, Kreutz C, Coenen M, Geffert K, Boger AH, Movsisyan A, Kratzer S, Klinger C, Wabnitz K, Strahwald B, Verboom B, Rehfuess E, Biallas RL, Jung-Sievers C, Voss, S, Pfadenhauer L. Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID‐19 pandemic: a rapid review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022, Issue 1. Art.No.: CD015029. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015029.
• Geffert K, Klinger C, von Philipsborn P. Ernährungspolitik und soziale Ungleichheit hängen zusammen – Handlungsfelder für die Politik. Soziale Sicherheit. 2021;12. Online
• Klinger C, Geffert K, Hebestreit A, Rehfuess E, von Philipsborn P. Schaffung gesunder Ernährungsumfelder: Ergebnisse des Food-EPI. Public Health Forum. 2021;29(4):315-318. DOI: 10.1515/pubhef-2021-0088.
• Burns J, Movsisyan A, Stratil JM, Biallas RL, Coenen M, Emmert-Fees KMF, Geffert K, Hoffmann S, Horstick O, Laxy M, Klinger C, Kratzer S, Litwin T, Norris S, Pfadenhauer LM, von Philipsborn P, Sell K, Stadelmaier J, Verboom B, Voss S, Wabnitz K, Rehfuess E. International travel‐related control measures to contain the COVID‐19 pandemic: a rapid review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD013717. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013717.pub2.
• Krishnaratne S, Pfadenhauer LM, Coenen M, Geffert K, Jung-Sievers C, Klinger C, Kratzer S, Littlecott H, Movsisyan A, Rabe JE, Rehfuess E, Sell K, Strahwald B, Stratil JM, Voss S, Wabnitz K, Burns J. Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID‐19 pandemic: a rapid scoping review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD013812. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013812.

Further articles, reports, policy briefs, study protocols etc.

• Seyfarth E, Klinger C, von Philipsborn P. International benchmarking of policies for the prevention of non-communicable diseases: A Scoping Review protocol. Open Science Framework. 2025. DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/R2XC.
• Sell K, von Philipsborn P, Vandevijvere S, Schmitz JM, Cardon G, Klinger C, Goedons B, Anton N, Rehfuess E. Strategies for the adoption of policies for healthy food and physical activity environments: Protocol for a systematic review and best-fit framework synthesis. Open Science Framework. 2025. DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/HCGS.
• Klinger C, Okanmelu E, Nkuruziza M, von Philipsborn P, Mchiza Z, Alaba O, Rehfuess E, Delobelle P. Assessing and benchmarking the voluntary policies and commitments of the formal food industry in South Africa using the BIA-DBM framework. Open Science Framework. 2024. DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/FZV5W.
• Klinger C, Rehfuess EA, Delobelle P, Theurich M, Holliday N, Okanmelu EC, Gedrich K, Alaba O, von Philipsborn P. Adaptation of the INFORMAS BIA-Obesity framework for countries facing a double burden of malnutrition: a Delphi study protocol. Open Science Framework. 2024, DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/CJE4T.
• Klinger C, Alaba O, Delobelle P, Holliday N, Lambert EV, Leibinger A, Okanmelu EC, Rehfuess EA, von Philipsborn P. Recommendations for and best practices by the formal food industry to address undernutrition and the double burden of malnutrition: a scoping review protocol. Open Science Framework. 2023. DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/Y23PS.
• von Philipsborn P, Geffert K, Klinger C, Hebestreit A, Stratil J, Rehfuess E. Der Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) Ergebnisbericht für Deutschland. 2021. Online
• Klinger C, von Philipsborn P. Policy Brief - Politik für eine gesunde Ernährung: Ausgangslage und Reformvorschläge für Deutschland. 2021. Online
• von Philipsborn P, Geffert K, Klinger C, Hebestreit A, Stratil J, Rehfuess E. Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) Evidenzbericht für Deutschland. 2021. Online