Sabrina Kirschke

Dr. Sabrina Kirschke is a Researcher at the Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research in Berlin, where she leads the Public Policy Research Group. Her work focuses on the interplay between science and policy, complex resource management, and transdisciplinary research, particularly in freshwater ecosystems and plastic pollution.

• Promotionsstudium at Leuphana University Lüneburg (Dr. rer. pol.)
• Studium der Politikwissenschaft at Freie Universität Berlin (Dipl. Pol.)

Her research interests include environmental governance, citizen science applications, and addressing wicked problems through policy mixes and resource nexus frameworks. She has contributed to harmonized methodologies for plastic monitoring in rivers and lakes and analyzed governance challenges in water quality management across Germany, Latin America, and the Global South.

Her scientific publications (2025-2020) emphasize plastic pollution mitigation, citizen science project design, policy coherence for environmental issues, and transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability. Key trends include collaborations with UNU-FLORES, UNEP, and GTZ, alongside frameworks for SDG 6 implementation.

At the Museum für Naturkunde, she drives policy-relevant research and knowledge transfer initiatives like the Science-Policy Lab. Her projects span from AI-assisted biodiversity-water quality assessments to action plans for Nile Basin macroplastic pollution and science communication strategies.