Merle Menke

Merle Menke serves as a Scientific Associate at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences within the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences (WiSo). She holds an M.A. degree and works from office space CF 0215 at the university.

Her research focuses on:

• Palliative Care from social and nursing science perspectives
• Qualitative Research Methodologies
• Oncology Care and Nursing Research
• Advanced Breast Cancer Care Systems

Ms. Menke is actively contributing to two major German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) projects that bridge social science theory with practical healthcare applications:

• PoWEr Project (2025-2028): Theoretical and methodological development for establishing nursing research in Germany related to oncological diseases (1 million € funding)
• Gesi-BK Project (2024-2026): Collaborative care approaches for advanced breast cancer patients (1.82 million € funding)

While Prof. Dr. Sara Marquard serves as principal investigator for both projects, Ms. Menke provides essential expertise in social science perspectives and qualitative research methodologies. Her work contributes significantly to developing comprehensive understanding of patient care needs in serious illness contexts through interdisciplinary research that connects social theory with healthcare practice.