Team

Rainer Gabriel is a professor at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). His work focuses on social policy questions, particularly poverty, social security, and vulnerability across the life course. In the project, he contributes his expertise in the empirical analysis of social inequalities, examining how institutional frameworks and individual resources influence societal participation.

Karsten Donnay is Assistant Professor of Political Behavior and Digital Media at the Department of Political Science, University of Zurich, a member of the Digital Democracy Lab andDSI professor. In his work, he uses large-scale surveys and survey experiments in combination with observational data from digital media platforms to shed light on the precise mechanisms through which individuals interact online, receive information, and influence or are influenced by others.

Philipp Scherer is a doctoral researcher at the Chair of Political Behavior and Digital Media. Prior to this, Philipp worked for several years as a Senior Project Manager for digital civic engagement at CrowdInsights GmbH. He holds a B.A. (2018–2021) and an M.A. (2021–2025) in Political and Administrative Science from the University of Konstanz, with study abroad stays at the University of Vienna and Tel Aviv University. In his work, he combines academic research with practical experience in digital participation and democratic innovation.

Gisela Meier is a Research Associate at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), at the Institute for Diversity and Social Inclusion. Her research focuses on the non-take-up of welfare state benefits, particularly among vulnerable population groups. She is co-director of the project Zürich für alle, which supports City of Zurich departments in making their services more inclusive. In the Simplify! project, she is responsible for the qualitative interviewing of staff at participating social institutions as well as potentially affected individuals.