Laila Gutknecht

Laila Gutknecht is a Research Assistant at the Chair of Bernhard Tschofen at the University of Zurich. Her work spans interdisciplinary fields including nutrition research, urban studies, digital cultures, and visual anthropology, with a focus on identity, kinship, and ethnographic methods.

• Education: Master of Arts in Cultural Analysis, Film Studies, and Gender Studies (2017–2020); Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences (2012–2016).

Her research explores intersections of digital media and identity construction, particularly through DNA-based genealogy on YouTube, and local food practices as cultural and environmental strategies. She has presented at conferences like the German Geography Congress (dkge 23) and DGEKW Congress.

Recent publications include analyses of local food movements in Switzerland and ethnographic insights into DNA-assisted kinship narratives. She teaches qualitative research methods and thematic seminars on cultural studies and local food systems.