Rebecca-Lea Freudl

Dr. Rebecca-Lea Freudl is a Research Fellow at the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society, focusing on digitalization and democracy, regulatory politics, and science policy. Her doctoral work (summa cum laude) examined politico-epistemic authority in food safety agencies. She holds a diploma in Public Administration and Management from Potsdam University and completed a PhD in Political Science at the University of Tübingen.

Her research spans comparative policy analysis, behavioral governance, and the transformation of knowledge orders. Key projects include studies on expertise networks, the institutional dynamics of science-policy interfaces, and the rise of behavioral insights in public policy. She has held visiting fellowships at the University of Sussex and contributed to interdisciplinary projects funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.

Her publications analyze topics like food safety regulation, nudge policies, and the evolving role of expertise in governance. Awards include her summa cum laude doctoral distinction. Current affiliations include leadership in the institute's 'Democracy and Digitalisation' research group and participation in the WZB-Mercator Forum on Science and Politics.