HPI graduate Lars Masanneck receives the University of Po

06/28/2024

At the ceremonial farewell of the graduates of the University of Potsdam on June 27, HPI graduate Lars Masanneck was awarded the Graduate Award of the Universitätsgesellschaft Potsdam e.V. for his work on the use trend of digital health technologies in health research. Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius gave the keynote speech.

Lars Masanneck is a doctor of medicine with a research background in digital medicine and the use of technologies in neurology, who began a master's degree in "Digital Health" at HPI after obtaining his doctorate. He graduated with distinction in August 2023. His thesis was dedicated to the topic "Analyzing Trends in the Use of Digital Health Technologies in Clinical Research and Beyond - Evidence from CinicalTrials.gov and Other Sources".  He examined the use trend of digital health technologies in clinical trials and observed a general increase in the use of these technologies, especially in studies on mental illness.

An excerpt of his work was published in 2023 in npj Digital Medicine: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-023-00767-1 

Prof. Tobias Friedrich, HPI Managing Director and Dean of the joint Digital Engineering Faculty of HPI and the University of Potsdam, and Dr. Barbara Obst-Hantel, Chairwoman of the Board of the Universitätsgesellschaft Potsdam e.V., presented Lars Masanneck with the Graduate Award at the graduation ceremony for his outstanding achievements in his studies and his thesis.  The prize is awarded by a jury of deans of studies and the chair of the University Society and is endowed with €1000.

Lars impressed not only with his professional expertise, but also with his commitment to voluntary work. Whether by networking in the initiation and organization of the Digital Health Nights and Beyond Medicine, which brings together students from the various disciplines at the University of Potsdam, or during the flood in the Ahrtal, where he set up an emergency medical practice in his home village. He is also actively involved in the German Society for Digital Medicine, a professional society of which he is now the first chairman and for whose annual conference he will return to HPI in the fall.

In his laudatory speech, Prof. Tobias Friedrich also emphasized Lars' social skills: "Lars Masanneck is a guy who has networked and nudged the entire Digital Health class with a mischievous grin and was able to bring a great focus to projects - without losing serenity."

Lars Masanneck is currently working as an assistant physician for neurology at the Neurological Clinic of the University Hospital Düsseldorf, where he is part of the working group for Digital Translation. 

The HPI congratulates Lars Masanneck on this award!

Furthermore, the best graduates of the Digital Engineering Faculty were also honored at the graduation ceremony of the University of Potsdam. Congratulations to Richard Wohlbold (Bachelor ITSE), Simon Cyrani (Bachelor ITSE), Lars Masanneck (Master Digital Health), Eric Ackermann (Master Cybersecurity) and Leon Schiller (Master ITSE)!

Photo: HPI/K. Herschelmann