Dr. rer. nat. Merle Müller-Hansen
| Phone: | +49 821 598 3925 |
| Email: | merle.mueller-hansen@uni-auni-a.de () |
| Room: | 1204 (I) |
| Address: | Universitätsstraße 12, 86159 Augsburg |
Merle Müller-Hansen is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in human geography, with a focus on digital geographies. Her work sits at the intersection of critical food and agricultural studies, urban transformation, and socio-ecological justice. A regional focus lies on South Asia (India), Latin America (Mexico), and Europe (Germany).
In her completed dissertation, “Changing Urban Food Environments: Dynamics of Platform Power, Corporeality, and Sustainability,” she examined urban food environments from a practice-theoretical perspective. The study particularly foregrounds the asymmetric power relations of digital platforms alongside questions of bodily health and ecological sustainability. With an empirical focus on the South Indian megacity of Hyderabad, the research also incorporates comparative insights from Chandigarh and New Delhi (India), Mérida (Mexico), Berlin (Germany), and Los Angeles (USA). The dissertation develops a critical, intersectional analysis and introduces an original analytical framework that highlights spatial relations, multiple scales of analysis, and the entangled dimensions of urban food environments in the context of multiple, overlapping food-related crises.
Research foci
- Intersectional food environment analysis (with a focus on gender)
- Digital, sustainable, and corporeal (affective) dietary dynamics
- Everyday practices & slow violence
- Agri-food systems & regimes
- Food movements
CV
Professional experience
2026 Visiting Researcher at the Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture, and Technology (Concordia University, Montreal, Kanada)
2025 Disputation (summa cum laude)
2025 Project coordinator NutriAIDE
2022 PhD Candidate / Researcher and Teacher, Urban Climate Resilience, Center for Climate Resilience (CCR) University of Augsburg
2019 Research Assistant for National Geographic and New York Times articles with Nadia Shira Cohen
2018/19 Maya Grassroots NGO of Indigenous Communities in Campeche, Mexico
Qualifications
2025 Doctoral Thesis submission (for obtaining a Dr. rer. nat.)
2023 Certificate University Teaching by the Bavarian Universities and Theme Cetificate Inclusive University Teaching
2021 Master in Interdisciplinary Latein America Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin
2017 Bachelor in Political Science, Freie Universität Berlin
2016 University Studies Abroad, Havana University Cuba
2014 Abitur, Freie Waldorfschule Tübingen
2012 High School Diploma (Honors Role), Frankfort Senior High School
2010 Programme Voltaire, Bundestag/Assemblée Nationale
Stipends
2026 Scholarship for research collabobration for an illustrated book in Mexico
2025-26 Equal Opportunity Scholarship for the support of a research assistant
2024-25 Equal Opportunity Scholarship for doctoral research in Mexico
2024 Erasmus+ Training Mobility for international exchange in teaching
2024 Early Career Scholarship at the University of Augsburg for one conference
2024 Women's Advancement Scholarship at the Faculty of Applied Computer Science for two conferences
2023 Women's Advancement Scholarship at the Faculty of Applied Computer Science for a total of three conferences
2022 Equal Opportunity Scholarship for doctoral research in Mexico
2021 DAAD Mobility Scholarship for master's research in Mexico
Memberships and volunteering
2025 Indian Sociological Society (ISS) - Group Food, Culture and Society
2024 Young and Emerging Scholars (YES!) International Geographical Union (IGU) - Commission Gender & Geography
2023 Verband für Geographie an deutschsprachigen Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen (VGDH)
2021 Ernst-Reutter-Gesellschaft der Freien Universität Berlin
2019 Komitee jährliches Kulturfestival “Hanal Balam“ zum Tag der Toten, Yucatán
2013 Youth For Understandung (YFU) Deutschland
Publications
Peer-reviewed articles
Müller-Hansen, M. (2026). Slow violence in digital food environments:
App–food–body assemblages in urban India. Cities, 174, 107070.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2026.107070. (Single Author, Open Access)
Müller-Hansen, M. (2025). Disrupting Colonial Trauma Through the
Hyperconsumption of Outside Foods in India? A Digital Food Consumer Citizenship. DIE
ERDE – Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, Special Issue: "Food Justice". https://
doi.org/10.12854/erde-2025-710. (Single Author, Open Access)
Müller-Hansen, M., Addu, K., & Keck, K. (2025). From the Wealthy-Healthy-Chubby Nexus
to Outside Foods – Changing Food Consumption Practices in India and Mexico. Social &
Cultural Geography, online first. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2025.2498944. (First
Author, Open Access)
Müller-Hansen, M. (2025). Digital Food Consumer Citizenship Beyond the Indian State.
Geographien Südasiens, 14, 7-11. https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.1524.c22059. (Single
Author, Open Access; Member of the Editorial Team)
Müller-Hansen, M., Bazán, W., & Landherr, A. (2025). El sufrimiento socioambiental por la
muerte de abejas como eje de la movilización colectiva maya en Hopelchén, Península de
Yucatán. Ichan Tecolotl, 34, 394. https://ichan.ciesas.edu.mx/el-sufrimiento-socioambiental-
por-la-muerte-de-abejas-como-eje-de-la-movilizacion-colectiva-maya-en-hopelchen-
peninsula-de-yucatan/. (First Author, Open Access, Spanish Language Article)
Müller-Hansen, M. (2024). Urban food environments in India and Mexico. Geographien
Südasiens, 15, 14-18. https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.1364.c20558. (Single Author, Open
Access)
Müller-Hansen, M., Mahne-Bieder, J., & Keck, M. (2023). Interdisciplinary research on food
environments: the key to transforming unhealthy food consumption practices and
unsustainable food systems. DIE ERDE – Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin,
154(1-2), 49-53. https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.1364.c20558. (First Author, Open Access)
Book contributions
Müller-Hansen, M. (contract signed). Change in Urban Food Environments:
Dynamics of Corporeality, Sustainability, and Platform Power. In the Routledge
Critical Food Studies Book Series, edited by Michael Goodman and Collin Sage.
(Dissertation Publication)
Müller-Hansen, M., Erler, M., Garavararapu, S., & Keck, M. (in copyediting, 2025). Grocery
retail, consumption practices, and health: Changing food environments in South Asia. C.
Butsch, A. Follmann, J. Dame, M. Keck, F. Kraas, M. Nüsser, P. Wagner, & M. Wenner
(Eds.) South Asia. Berlin: Springer. (First Author, Book Chapter)
Griep, C., Müller-Hansen, M. (2019). Integration – ein einseitiges Konzept? Interkulturelle
Wahrnehmungswelten in der Berliner Geflüchtetenarbeit. In: Störl, K. (Ed.), Migration und
Interkulturalität. Theorien – Methoden – Praxisbezüge. Berlin: Leibniz-Sozietät. (Second
Author, German Language Book Chapter)
Media and Science Communication
New York Times (24.06.2025). The Mennonite Colony That Made a Deal With a Diamond
Company. (Research Assistance - Cover Story Print Version U.S.)
National Geographic (06/2021). Cultivos de la discordia en Campeche. Mayas y menonitas
colisionan por la tierra y su futuro. (Research Assistance, Editing - Cover Story Print
Version Latin America)
National Geographic (2019). An unlikely feud between beekeepers and Mennonites simmers
in Mexico. (Interpretations, Story Stringing, Research Assistance - Online & Print - World Press
Awards 2019: 2nd place, Environmental Reportage)
Presentations
Academic presentations
• Digital Geographies Conference, IGOT Lissabon 2025 -
"Space-Time-Sustainability (STS) Metabolisms in Urban Food Environments", Special Session
"Putting Information into Spatial Structures: Approaches in Localising Information and Knowledge"
• Tropentag, Universität für Bodenkultur (BOKU) Wien 2024 - "NutriAIDE - Building
smart food environments for improved nutrition: Insights from research in India", with
Markus Keck
• Congress of the International Geographical Union Dublin 2024 - "Change in Urban Food
Environments: Unraveling Dynamics of Digitalization, Corporeality, and Platform Power"
• Gender Commission of the International Geographical Union Dublin 2024 - "Slow
violence in app-food-body assemblages: reading digital food environments through
feminist lenses"
• Food Conference Perugia 2024 - "Digital Food Geographies: Hybrid Affects In a Food-
App-Human Assemblage"
• Summer School 'Critical Social Science Perspectives on Climate Change' of the Center
for Climate Resilience (CCR) Augsburg 2024 - "Gender and Affect in an App-Food-
Human Assemblage"
• Neue Kulturgeographie (NKG) Münster 2024 - "Space-Time-Sustainability (STS) Cubes:
An Urban Political Ecology of Food Environment Research", with Katharina Gröne and
Sebastian Purwins
• AK Agri-Food meets AK Geographische Handelsforschung Würzburg 2024 - "STS
Cubes: Food Environment Visualization with Space Time Sustainability (STS) Cubes"
• AK Südasien Augsburg 2024 - "Disrupting Colonial Trauma through the Hyper
Consumption of Outside Foods in India? A Digital Food Consumer Citizenship"
• DKG Frankfurt 2023 - "From 'Healthy-Wealthy-Chubby' to 'Outside Foods' in Urban
Food Environments : Evidence from India and Mexico"
• ECPR Prag 2023 - "An app-based approach to transforming unhealthy consumption
practices and unsustainable food systems"
• AK Südasien Berlin 2023 - "'Healthy-Wealthy-Chubby' and 'Outside Foods' in New
Urban Food Environments : Evidence from India and Mexico"
Public presentations
• Live on Youtube: presentation of the Special Issue "Retratos de sufrimiento socioambiental
en América Latina [Portraits of socio-environmental suffering in Latin America]",
Mexico City 2025
• Closing event of the project NutriAIDE (funded by the German Ministry of Agriculture,
Food, and Regional Identity) - Opening of the interactive exposition on
food environments in Indian megacities, Center for Climate Resilience Augsburg 2025
• Erasmus student group from four countries - Introduction to digital food environments
and the development of the NutriAIDE app, high school Landsberg 2024
• Querverweise Dikussionsformat [Cross-References Discussion Format] Fünf Jahre
Volksbegehren „Rettet die Bienen“ [Five Years Referendum "Save the Bees"], Augsburg
2024
• Umweltbildungszentrum [Environmental Education Center], Augsburg 2023 - Aufbau
smarter Ernährungsumfelder für gesunde und nachhaltige Ernährung - Einblicke aus
Indien und Mexiko [Creating smart food environments for healthy and sustainable
nutrition – insights from India and Mexico]
Teaching
Winter Semester 2025/26 - Qualitative Methods in Food Environment Research (Master's Methods Seminar, held in German)
Winter Semester 2025/26 - Tutorial Seminar: Human Geography I (Bachelor Seminar, held in German)
Summer Semester 2025 - Qualitative Methods in Food Environment Research (Master's Methods Seminar, held in German)
Winter Semester 2024/25 - Food Environment Research, English-language seminar with international guests (Master's Methods Seminar, held in English)
Summer Semester 2024 - Food Environments (Bachelor's Advanced Seminar, held in German)
Winter Semester 2023/24 - Material Histories: Sustainable Resource Strategies in the Resilient City (Bachelor's Project Seminar, held in German)
Contributions to the academic community
Reviewing
National Geographic
Food, Culture & Society
DIE ERDE - Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin
Geographien Südasiens
Organization of working group meetings, conferences, and science communication
• Neue Kulturgeographie (NKG), Augsburg 2025 "Sepculative Geographies of the New
Climate Regime" (https://kulturgeographie.org)
• Summer School Center for Climate Resilience (CCR), Stadtbergen 2024 "Critical social
science perspectives on climate change: Governmentality, Political Ecology, and New
Materialism"
• Launch of the nutriAIDE app, Hyderabad (India) 2024
• Interactive Science Fair Stand at the Long Night of Science, Augsburg 2024
• Specialty Group Meeting South Asia, Augsburg 2024
• Launch of the prototype of the nutriAIDE app, Chandigarh (India) 2023