Silvana Harnisch

Biography

Silvana Harnisch is a public health professional and registered nurse whose work bridges clinical practice, health systems, and patient-centred research. She holds a Master of Science in Public Health (MScPH) from the Berlin School of Public Health (BSPH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (2023–2025), building on a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing Management from Evangelische Hochschule Berlin. Her academic training encompasses health economics, quality management, social policy, health law, and organisational management.

A central focus of her work is patient engagement in health research. Her master’s thesis – “Patient Engagement in Stroke Research: A Qualitative Analysis Based on the Experiences and Perceptions of Stroke Patients” – explored how stroke patients experience and perceive their involvement in the research process. Drawing on qualitative methodology, the study sheds light on the conditions that enable or hinder meaningful participation, and contributes to the development of more responsive and inclusive research practices in the field of stroke and neurological rehabilitation.

This research reflects her broader commitment to participatory and patient-centred approaches in public health – an area of growing importance as health systems seek to integrate lived experience into research design, policy, and practice. Her perspective is informed by over a decade of clinical nursing in acute and intensive care settings in Berlin, which gives her a grounded understanding of patient needs and health system realities.

Silvana Harnisch combines qualitative research expertise with analytical skills in R and SQL and a strong foundation in health data systems. She is committed to advancing evidence- informed, participatory approaches that bring the voices of patients meaningfully into health research and policy.