Delayed trains, crowded doctors’ offices, teenagers who feel lonely: Even in an age of technological and social progress, there are many challenges that occupy our minds in everyday life. Research can help us better understand such problems and develop solutions. We’re featuring scientists who are working on these issues. Part one of our series.

• Prof. Dr. Herbert Scheithauer (Freie Universität Berlin): Whether it’s bullying in the classroom or in the digital realm, this psychologist researches what drives people to bully and how it can be prevented. Together with his team, he has developed prevention programs for daycare centers and schools, including “Fairplayer,” which promotes social skills and moral courage among young people. Scheithauer is also one of the world’s leading experts on armed attacks at schools.

• Prof. Dr. Tomaso Duso (Technische Universität Berlin / German Institute for Economic Research - DIW Berlin): Gas prices, electricity, and natural gas? One record high follows another, and consumers tremble at the thought of their bills. Economist Tomaso Duso is one of the leading voices in the debate on how to reduce costs. As chairman of the independent Monopolies Commission, he also frequently deals with cartels.
• Prof. Dr. Julia Polánsky-Biskup (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin): The immunology expert aims to simplify personalized cell therapies, thereby making them more affordable and helping to alleviate autoimmune diseases and complications from transplants. Her research has received multiple awards from the European Research Council.

All of them were presented today in Der Tagesspiegel (September 28, 2026) within the framework of the series “The 100 Most Important Minds in Berlin Academia 2026” (T+, in German).